Four Brothers
by Matthew Talbain
Summary: A new world, a whole new set of problems. What's Agrias stumbled upon? Who's that with the huge jet? More choices, more problems.
1. Prologue 1: Stars

**Four Brothers**  
_A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain  
In collaboration with a mysterious author who shall  
not be revealed for another chapter. _

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½,  
Sonic the Hedgehog, or any and all related properties.

A/N – Sorry, guys. Too many ideas floating around, and I'm  
suffering writer's block when it comes to most of the other  
fics. Bear with me, please, and let's just enjoy the adventure….

On a major note, a major change is in for this author's status as a lone ranger.  
A cookie goes to the one who can guess who my co-author is. -grins- Here's  
a hint: he's a very, very esteemed author on this site.

-----------------Prologue Ch. 1: Stars-----------------

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"There is no other choice?"

"No, sister. There is no other choice."

"Then we must intervene. They cannot be allowed to band together without an answer."

"I believe our brothers are behind this."

"All the more reason to stop them. Well, sisters, go and choose. My champion will join  
yours when you have chosen. Until then, sisters…."

-----------Nerima Ward, 3 Years Post-Jusendo------------

"YOU….YOU PERVERT!"

"Wha?"

Morning in Nerima once again found a very sleepy Ranma Saotome in his room at the Tendo Dojo, with his fiancée Akane wielding a heavy mallet over her head. As Ranma heard Akane's cry of completely unjustified, not-so-feminine fury, he briefly wondered how sleeping in his room was perverted. He had enough time, just before being knocked back into the blessed realm of sleep, to notice that he had kicked off his blanket in his sleep, revealing his bare chest. _Man, this chick needs to lay off…_

Ranma's thought trailed off as he was reintroduced to Hypnos, the God of Slumber. Akane stomped off, and, had Nabiki, who was just exiting her own room, been in a more facultative state, she would have noticed the smirk on her younger sister's face. As it was, all she saw was a blur with a vaguely familiar hairstyle.

It was some time before Ranma made his way downstairs, and by then, of course, his father had eaten all of his breakfast. Ranma growled in the back of his throat, and walked into the kitchen. Focusing on what was in front of him, he barely registered a hand tapping his shoulder. He spun on his left heel, throwing the person off balance. Reflexively, Ranma reached out and grabbed the person, who happened to be a slightly surprised Kasumi, before she could hit the floor. As he set her on her feet, he failed to register the slight blush on her cheeks.

"When I heard Akane hit you, Ranma, I prepared an extra plate for you. I left it on the counter and covered it, so it wouldn't get cold." Kasumi looked down, hoping to hide her blush, but Ranma never noticed it. Nor did he notice the combined venom and worry she had used when whispering her sister's name. He just beamed broadly.

"Gee, thanks, Kasumi. That's awful thoughtful of ya." He gave the blushing girl a quick hug, which intensified the blush, and walked over to the counter. In a matter of seconds, Ranma had done Kasumi's cooking justice and complimented her on it. He reached out to give her another hug, unfortunately just as Akane walked into the kitchen. This time, Ranma actually perceived something other than the world inside his head. It was Akane's face. She was smirking, her hand twitching for her mallet. That wasn't the normal Akane face.

Ranma made a split-second decision, a decision that would alter his life forever, as Akane's familiar battle cry rose up, and her mallet came down.

The world froze as a forearm rose to block the mallet. The world restarted as a loud crack could be heard. Kasumi, who knew full well what Ranma and Akane were both capable of, fully expected it to be the crack of wood.

She bent over and vomited when she saw Ranma's right arm twitching on the ground, Akane's face glowing with something other than anger.

She was happy. She had permanently maimed her own fiancé, and she was happy. Kasumi saw Ranma staring numbly at his arm as the entire world, or at least the whole neighborhood of prominent figures of Nerima, came spilling into the Tendo kitchen.

"Nihao! Now Airen discarded Too Too Violent Girl, come consummate with Shampoo, yes?"

"Ranma, how dare you do whatever you did to Akane!"

"Saotome, you fiend! Release my beloved Shampoo!"

"Waaaaahhh! The schools must be joined!"

"Whatever that sound was, it wasn't very manly of you, my son!"

"Whatta haul, whatta haul!"

"Well, now, Son-in-Law, we'll have you in our tribe yet!"

"It's five thousand yen for Akane's mallet, Saotome."

"Ooh, goody! Ranchan's mine for sure now!"

"Hohohohohohoho! I knew my Ranma-sama would someday realize that I am the best for him!"

"Boy! Show your fiancée some respect!"

"Saotome, you cur! How dare you smite the hammer of my fierce tigress, Akane Tendo! I shall remove her and the pigtailed goddess from your vile clutches once and for all!"

"You delinquent! Happo Five-huh!"

Ranma, amidst all the yells, all the cries, and the misunderstandings on all sides, could only stare at his right arm, and the blood flow that continued to pump from a stump that extended only four inches beyond his elbow. His ears were deaf to all but the furiously pumping beat of his heart. His eyes were blind but for the lifeless, waxen limb that lay shattered on the floor. He was numb: he could feel not the slightest thing. As he stared, and the crowd around grew quiet, his blood ceased flowing. Ranma Saotome's healing factor, exceptional as it was, had saved his life once more. But even Ranma's prodigious toughness and healing wouldn't save his arm. He was now, in his own eyes, useless.

"A..Akane….what have you done?"

Ryouga's voice broke the deafening silence. Akane's triumphant smirk faltered, but she hitched it back almost instantly.

"Why, I've finally beaten him, Ryouga! I beat Ranma! Aren't you proud of me?"

But the eyes of those around her, the shaking heads and the disapproving eyes, all said no. For, in Nerima, there had never really been any true hatred that lasted very long. Everyone, even Ryouga and Kuno, recognized that Ranma was the strongest. He was a paragon, a pillar of power that none could match. They could only hope to keep up. He made them stronger, and in fighting them, made himself stronger. The girls pursuing him didn't even fight each other to their strongest. It was the Unwritten Rule. Nobody would be hurt, and Ranma would be the strongest. Ranma would be the most powerful.

Now, that creed had been broken. Ryouga, as P-chan, had seen Akane just the night before, unable to even bruise Ranma's head with the dining room table. But suddenly, this morning, without any justification at all, she had broken Ranma's right arm, his dominant hand, from his body. In a lust for power, Akane had destroyed a martial artist's very life. She had removed a martial artist's only real tool. His fist.

And, indeed, everyone recognized that there had been no reason for it. They blamed Ranma for the smallest things, never meaning a word of it. It was a play, an act, and they all played their parts perfectly. All realized it, except, it seemed, Akane. It seemed that she truly was the dimmest bulb in the box.

"Come on, guys! I…I defeated Ranma! I'm the strongest now! Come on, the pervert's been broken! Guys….what…what is it, guys?"

It was Kuno, now, who spoke. He sheathed his katana, staring with livid eyes at the woman he had proclaimed to love. But even he was not so delusional as to be blind to Akane's own shortcomings.

"Tendo-san, you are a martial artist. Think very, very firmly on this: how would you feel if your martial arts were removed from you forever?"

Akane blinked.

"I'd…I'd be sad, torn apart that I couldn't do them anymore. I wouldn't want to go on anymore."

Kuno snorted through his nose.

"And yet you practice them only sparingly, and not even with the pure dedication of a true master. But you, in your lack of control, have removed the ONLY thing a fellow martial artist has ever known. His entire life, eighteen years of pure martial arts, is gone. Eighteen years of living the Art, of breathing it, drinking it, eating it. If I remember correctly, at times, the Art was all he had. All of the friends he has, he has through the Art. Every accomplishment, every award, every COMPLIMENT he ever experienced, was through the Art. The only thing that set him apart from us was the Art. And you have stolen that from him in a blind rage. You, Akane Tendo, are no martial artist. You are a bully."

With that, Kuno and the rest began to filter out of the room. In moments, only Ryouga, Mousse, Ranma, Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane and Ranma's family remained in the room. Kasumi, having recovered enough of herself to stand properly, saw that Ranma still hadn't moved. Akane, her confusion growing, began to walk out of the room, mumbling to herself.

"But… I was in the right. He deserved what he got, and I'm the best now! So… why is everyone siding with Ranma?"

Akane smiled a little more surely as she heard the muffled sound Ranma made as he sank to his knees, his one good hand cupping his face as soul-wracking sobs issued forth from the tortured youth. She was in the right after all. Ranma finally realized how in the wrong he'd been. It never occurred to her that Ranma was sobbing because he had lost his entire life with the loss of his arm.

"Hmm. This world…Toltiir was right. I can feel the energies of many powerful beings. It's insane! I've never seen a world with so many mortals of such a fine caliber!"

A figure, clothed only in her red, fiery aura, flew quickly through the skies over the planet Earth. Her golden skin glowing from within, it seemed, as she scanned the surface world below her. Her eyes glowed with an immense hope, a cradle upon which the salvation of herself and her sisters sat upon, and she flew. That hope, however, seemed to dim as she flew…

"So few of them seem to be even the least inclined to the good. Why? Those who are good are too self-absorbed, or in too much of a good place to even consider coming to aid me. I guess I need…wait… what's that sound?"

Quickly, the being swooped down, alighting next to a window in what appeared to be a Nexus of Power. She could feel the power radiating, almost oozing, from the streets of this district. And yet she could feel goodness burning from one individual. It was in most of the auras she could feel, that was true. But the sheer goodness from this one individual, the most powerful of them all, was like a bonfire to their candles. She could feel no selfishness, but almost too much selflessness. She felt no ill will, none at all. She could feel his pain, his desire to grow stronger. She could feel every single hardship he had ever endured. She could even feel the harsh reality of his power being removed from him. Only after this point did she feel a hopelessness in his aura. This is what had drawn her here.

She looked through the window, her gleaming red, pupil-less eyes latching onto the scene before her. A tall man, in a long white coat, was standing next to the one with the brilliant aura, whose back was facing her. He sighed, turning towards a pair of females in the back of the room. The being strained her ears to hear what was said.

"I'm sorry, Kasumi, Saotome-san. In this case, his healing factor was a curse rather than a blessing."

The being, confused by this, looked on, her interest becoming piqued. She could tell she was not the only one who was confused. The eyes of the two females, the red-haired one whose aura vaguely resembled the young man's especially, showed confusion.

"Doctor, how could Ranma's healing be a curse?"

Ranma, huh? So that was his name. She filed that for later use as she listened in once more.

"Because, Saotome-san, in most cases like this, we have some time to repair the damage. However, we need to do it within a maximum of two hours after the wound is inflicted, or repair becomes impossible."

The three females were still completely confused, though the chestnut-haired one seemed to be on the verge of understanding. Suddenly, Ranma turned to his right, to face the wall opposite the doctor. And suddenly, the being understood everything. The conversation, the confused look in the women's eyes, and the feeling of despair rolling off of Ranma's aura.

His arm, apparently the medium for his power, had been severed. Ranma's face, however, was neutral. Completely, and utterly neutral. To the being, it was worse than the tortures inflicted upon her beloved world so far away and so long ago. He had seemed so happy, so utterly carefree. And now this. The being's musings were quieted, however, as the doctor resumed his explanation.

"I know the injury occurred a scant hour ago, Saotome-san, but we cannot reattach his arm. His healing factor has repaired the damaged nerves, skin, and muscle to the greatest extent possible. We cannot reattach his arm now. For all intents and purposes, his wound is a little over two months old, physically."

The auburn-haired woman, Saotome-san, swayed in place before fainting into Kasumi's arms. With that, the doctor quickly patted Ranma on the shoulder, whispering some kind of encouragement, before helping Kasumi to take the elder woman out of the room. She slid through the wall, stepping lightly onto the wooden floor, before walking over to Ranma. He never turned around, but instead spoke up.

"Who are you? Why were you waiting out there?"

He was not expecting the answer he got.

"I need your help, Ranma. But first, I need to know if I can trust you, if I can even choose you."

Ranma, curious, broke out of his reverie long enough to look up at her strangely. He didn't even notice some of his old bluster returning.

"How can ya do that?"

The being merely laid her palm on Ranma's head.

Instantly, she screamed silently to the stars, falling to her knees as Ranma's memories poured into her. The pain, the fear, the loneliness, and the strife flew into her. She lived the Neko-Ken, watched her friends drop like flies into a painful mockery of the blessed gift of friendship. She watched a young girl offer that very gift, only to yank it away. She watched her former best friend become an enemy, then a fiancé. She lived through a beaten fighter kissing her cheek, then tracking her down to kill her. She felt that same person kiss her lips, whispering words of love. She felt hate, anger, rage, hopelessness, and yet none of it lasted very long. The tortures were nothing, really. As long as she had the Art, she was fine.

And then Akane removed even that little bit from her. The being let go of Ranma's head, pulling the young man into a shuddering hug, more for her own comfort than his.

"Oh, Blessed Creation, what have they done to you? You gave so much…why? Why did you not kill them? Why did you let them get away with so much?"

She did not expect Ranma to answer, nor did he. He simply held the sobbing being, stroking her hair with his one good hand. They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time, before she looked into his eyes.

"It has to be you, Ranma. No other person could accept the gift I have, nobody I wouldn't worry about. But you… my gift will never be abused by you."

Ranma nodded. He looked down at her. "Ya keep mentionin' this 'gift' thing. What is it? What would ya need a cripple like me for?"

The being smiled gently, kissing his forehead. She looked deep into his eyes, trusting him completely. "Ranma, where I come from, there is an Artefact of immense power. Merely touching it will grant the wish of the one who lays hands on it. This Artefact was an accident, an unforeseen slight in the great plan of my sisters and I. We had created a world, a wonderful, beautiful world full of peace and blessing. But when we left this world to observe it, to watch it grow, we left a portion of our power by accident. This Artefact, the Tri-Force as it was to become known as, luckily lay beyond a curtain of magic. The Artefact influenced the world in which it lay, until a king of the land deemed it too dangerous. He took up the symbol of the Artefact for his family, to keep it in the minds of his people, and ordered a temple to be built to turn the curtain into a wall. The temple became the only door, and a plain, iron sword became the key to that door."

"However, the power of the Artefact was not lost or diminished. It continued to affect the land behind the curtain, changing it into a Golden Land of milk and honey, the Sacred Realm. The power was even absorbed into the iron sword, which was supposed to ward off magical energy. The sword became a blade to slay all evil, and became known as the Master Sword. Time passed, and the warnings of the ancient king were forgotten. A huge, bloody war broke out over the land, and two figures would stand prominent over the rest."

"The first, a dark man atop a black stallion, had instigated the war from the shadows in order to weaken the kingdom called Hyrule. When the war died down, he then stepped out into the light and swore fealty to the King, Harkinian the First. But he was false."

"The second was a mere infant who would grow to incredible courage. He had been carried by his wounded, dying mother into a peaceful wood, and there he was raised by the Kokiri. Ten years passed, and the boy started out on an adventure that would see the Tri-Force split, the young boy turned into a man, and the dark one turned into a frightful beast. At the end of it all, the boy was sent back to his own time, while the dark one stewed in the Sacred Realm, separated from reality by the very Artefact he had sought to obtain."

The being knelt down before Ranma, taking his hands in hers.

"Please, Ranma, I need your help. My sisters and I, a trio of Goddesses, have four siblings of Evil. They have freed Ganondorf and, though they removed from him his portion of the Artefact and allowed it to resume its rightful place, they have given him a portion of the power of our brother, Karn. With this, Ganondorf opened a seal into other worlds, and our brothers' greed brought them into the vast universes. They have afflicted two other worlds with their powers. Now, all of the Creation of Kami-sama himself is threatened by their powers. Atrophy, Ignorance, and Terror. These are the powers of our brothers, Karn, Ciylu, and Malkore. My sisters, Nayru and Farore, possess the opposites of Ignorance and Terror, Wisdom and Courage. I possess Atrophy's opposite, Power. I am named Din."

Ranma knew what she was asking of him. He understood the implications. But one thing held him back.

"How could a cripple like me help? I'm kinda missin' my arm, ya know…"

Din smiled, laying her hand upon Ranma's right stump. She looked into his eyes.

"I can help. You won't have a natural right arm, not for some time at least, but I can give you a substitute. You could feel it, you could move it as though it were your own. But you will probably never have the same look, or even the same abilities, in that arm ever again. Do you accept this, and my gift?"

Ranma merely nodded. With that, Din's hand and Ranma's stump began to glow with a crimson light. She began to chant in an odd language Ranma could not recognize. Soon, the glow spread to cover all of Ranma's body. So bright was it that the epicenter of the glow had to shield his cobalt eyes from the light.

It began to die down, and Ranma stared at what had once been a lifeless stump in wonder. He lifted his hands, for now he indeed had two, to his eyes. He grinned, broadly, and he hugged Din with all of his prodigious might. For indeed, Ranma's strength had increased. He stood, wondering at Din's squeak of surprise, and turned to the full-length mirror in his room. He was, to say the least, surprised.

His raven hair affected the most change. It was now long and spiked, and a ponytail draped between his shoulder blades, instead of a pigtail ending at the middle of his neck. His sleek musculature seemed more defined, his face more angular, and his eyes now swirled with a crimson energy, though they remained cobalt. His arms, once a stump, was now what appeared to be a metallic glove, a gauntlet extending to the area his stump had ended. A large red gem adorned the back of his new hand, and a strange series of runic symbols danced along his forearm. A similar gauntlet, this one leather only plated on the back, however, dressed his right forearm. He sensed a great strength seeping into him from the gauntlet, and from his silver right arm. To finish his appearance, a red triangle spiked from below his pectoral to his shoulder, covering his heart. A similar crimson marking covered his left cheek and eye, but it soon faded as he stared.

He turned to Din, and he nodded. In a flash of scarlet light, he was gone from his world, leaving only a torn shirt and a dried bloodstain as proof he'd ever been there.

* * *

A/N: Whatcha think? Another cookie goes to the one who can guess the other Goddess Avatars are. A BIG cookie goes to the first who can tell me why it's named "Four Brothers". -grins- 


	2. Prologue 2: No More

**Four Brothers**  
_A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain  
…And MadHat886!_

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½,

Sonic the Hedgehog, Suikoden, or any and all related properties.

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by myself and MadHat886,  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts  
of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

And, so people know, I spelled "Artefact" that way on PURPOSE. It's the  
Medieval spelling of an archaic word. And no, it's not the four horsemen. It's…  
Read and find out!

* * *

-----------------**Prologue Chapter 2: No More**----------------- 

"Honestly, you fool, how could you have been so blind? You actually trusted me? Yet another mark against you, my dear friend. I wonder how your friends feel now, Shadow. How will they take the news of your betrayal?"

------------------

Shadow the Hedgehog stared up at the inky black expanse of sky above him, the rain pouring down to wash away the blood from various injuries. He lay there, hurt and alone. Black Doom's words echoed in his mind again and again as he stared at the starless sky, wishing he had the strength to grab his pistol and end it for good. He sank into his depression once more, the rain mercilessly washing away the tears.

------------------

"Come on, Shadow! You pathetic weakling! I should never have freed you from that prison of yours! I can't believe my grandfather gave you the title of Ultimate Lifeform! More like Ultimate Defect! Get out of my sight, Shadow! I've no further use for you!"

------------------

More tears pricked Shadow's eyes as he remembered Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik's angry dismissal of the black hedgehog. The fury and rage in Eggman's eyes had been enough to send Shadow on a running spree, his injuries unimportant. Everything about the hedgehog was unimportant. Once more, his thoughts turned to Black Doom.

------------------

"You will never be the so-called Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow! You are useless to me, Shadow. I cannot endure having a servant with his own will, his own opinions."

Shadow stared disbelievingly at the imposing three-eyed figure. He stepped forward, a road sign clutched tightly in his fist. "You need me, Doom! Nobody else could recover the emeralds for you. You need me!"

Black Doom merely chuckled, stepping back and allowing the folds of his cloak to ripple. "Indeed, Shadow, I need your abilities…but I have recently gotten a new servant, one without any opinions, or even emotions, who would be a match for even you!" From the rippling miasma, a tall figure in the vague shape of a hedgehog stepped out. Its eyes, a furious glowing sapphire, bored soullessly into Shadow's mind. It was shaped exactly the same as Shadow, its spikes jutting out in the same played manner as Shadow's own. The black metallic sheen, more raven than matte black, like Shadow's fur, reflected the light. However, where Shadow's striped spikes were red, the metallic being's own striped were a pale, sickly blue. The stripes glowed with an unnatural fury, and an odd tattoo of the same color covered its face in an upside-down "V" shape, extending from the left side of its jaw, up to the center of its forehead, and back down to the right side of its jaw. The tattoo covered both of its eyes.

"Shadow, meet Metal Shadow. I'm sure the two of you will be the best of friends." Black Doom faded out, laughing maniacally, as Metal Shadow dashed forward, Shadow still too surprised at this latest development to even try to use Chaos Control to escape.

------------------

Shadow's sigh floated up to the invisible stars. He attempted to roll over, but his motion was arrested by the abused muscles in his left side. He just continued to stare lifelessly at the sky, contemplating how he'd come to such a place.

------------------

"C'mon, Shadow, it's not all that bad!"

The blue hedgehog holding Shadow up was trying urgently not to beat the crap out of the anti-hero he called his friend. Of course, Sonic was just that type. He forgave easily, and he was always dependable, if somewhat free with his opinions and actions. Shadow fought down a smile as those thoughts came up. Of course Sonic wouldn't think too harshly of Shadow. Hell, the hedgehog considered the almost monthly battles with Eggman to be a sport! Still, Shadow was comforted slightly by the fact that Sonic was standing by him, helping him up when Black Doom and Eggman had kicked him down.

"Yeah, Shadow! Everybody's okay, and you couldn't have known what would happen! You just wanted to know about your past. It's not like THAT'S a crime!"

A pink hedgehog in a red dress hugged the injured hedgehog tightly. It had been her that had come across Shadow's broken form after Metal Shadow had beaten Shadow so violently. It had been her that gave Shadow the Power Ring that aided him in his somewhat-effective recovery. It had been she that Shadow had run from in shame, turning instead to Eggman.

Shadow's smile faded magnificently as the hedgehog remembered how he had turned to Eggman for help and healing. The man had freed him, and the man had owed him as well. Shadow HAD saved him, and his Ark, from destruction months ago. And yet the man, seeing Shadow's injuries and the missing chaos emeralds, threw Shadow out.

He and Black Doom were right. Shadow was useless. He bowed his head as Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and the others patted the hedgehog on the back. Another smile appeared on Shadow's face, this one sad. He knew what he had to do. He looked up, straight into Sonic and Amy's eyes.

"Sonic, Amy…everyone…thank you for trusting me. But it is the last mistake you will ever make with me. I don't deserve it!"

With that, the injured hedgehog broke from Sonic's arms and activated the lone emerald he had in his possession. He sped off, his pistols and belt shuddering in the wind of his departure, refusing to allow the tears that wanted to fall to exist. He ran so fast that the rain, only a light drizzle by now, stabbed into his flesh, aggravating his injuries. In moments, Shadow was in the middle of an empty field. He fell to his knees, staring at the stars, the rain washing away the blood it had brought out of Shadow's body. And the tears came…

------------------

Shadow now lay on his back, his hand inching for his pistols. He had made up his mind. He was a failure. He had lost Maria, Sonic, Tails, Amy…Amy. Shadow's tears accelerated as he sobbed at the stars. Why did life have to be so cruel? He had lost his best friends. He had been cursed with a power he had no idea how to use. Oh, certainly, Shadow knew the mechanics of his abilities. But did he use them for good, or would they be evil? He no longer knew, and it no longer mattered. It would be over shortly.

His hand had found his favorite gun, a magnum of exceptional stopping power he had named Heaven, and placed it at his temple with great effort. As his finger began to tighten on the trigger, a mysterious shape appeared before him. Her sapphire eyes and shape were familiar to Shadow.

"M..Maria?"

The figure giggled gently, laying a finger on Shadow's forehead.

"Not quite, Shadow. My name is Nayru. I am a Goddess. I have little time to explain, but I have something to offer you."

Shadow snorted in disbelief, yet Heaven was lowered. He looked into the Nayru's eyes, and found himself believing in her. It had been so long since he had believed in ANYTHING, and believing in this goddess felt… nice.

"Shadow, I have need of your help. The worlds of the Multiverse are in danger. I shall explain on the way. I have looked into your past, Shadow, and deemed you worthy of my power."

Shadow merely looked up at Nayru in surprise. The man-sized hedgehog was worthy of nothing! How could Nayru believe in him, much less in his ability to help her?

"I…I couldn't help you. I'm… I'm nothing more than a failure."

He did not expect Nayru to giggle. He looked up in surprise, which increased exponentially as she kissed his nose.

"Silly Shadow. I believe in you. I want YOU to help me. Nobody else. Just think of it as a chance to redeem yourself. To earn the friendship that has been freely given you."

At this, Shadow could only stare. As the idea began to sink in, his eyes began to harden in resolve. Yes. No more would he be a pawn. Nayru was giving him a choice, and he was taking this chance. He would become everything Sonic and Amy thought of him. He would prove them right, and he would prove Eggman wrong!

"Alright. I will."

Almost instantly, his body was bathed in blue light….

------------------_Hyrule, 300 years after the Imprisoning War_------------------

"Link?"

A young blonde woman walked slowly into the passageway, looking at the young man staring out the windows. At the sound of her voice, he turned. His green tunic fluttered in the wind unimpeded by the open window. His was handsome, she thought, as she took in his musculature. His blue eyes seemed full of depth, yet something in them was missing. His brownish-red hair hung in a pair of tassels at his temples, and with his family sword strapped to his back, he cut a very fine figure, especially since he had taken to wearing a pair of white tights and a long undershirt underneath his tunic.(1)

"Yes, Princess?" Link bowed low to the ground, subconsciously shifting the Mirror Shield on his back to accommodate the motion. He looked up at the girl, smiling inwardly. She was indeed a very beautiful girl, in her white-and-blue dress, and Link felt fortunate to have met her. Of course, he would have preferred meeting her in better conditions than the ones they had met under, but hey, that was life.

Zelda smiled. "I apologize, Link, but a visitor has requested your presence."

The young man simply nodded and walked to the audience chamber. It would not do for the hero to keep a visitor waiting. Who could it be, though, he wondered. His shock was understandable when he laid eyes upon the golden-skinned woman before him. Her eyes, a glowing emerald color, locked onto him as he knelt and bowed.

"Goddess Farore! To what may I owe the honor of this visit?"

The goddess merely walked forward, laying a hand on Link's shoulder. The young man looked up in surprise as the goddess herself knelt.

"Link, I am sorry, but I need your help again."

Link simply stood and nodded, checking his equipment. He had been carrying everything he had gotten on his adventure in a Bag of Holding, a gift to him from his uncle for his twelfth birthday. The seventeen-year-old smiled at the memory, before nodding to himself. The only thing he did not have was the Master Sword, and that had been replaced in the Pedestal of Time. He looked into Farore's eyes. "Since you and your sisters blessed me, and answered my prayer in the desert, I have been your servant in all things. Tell me what to do, and it shall be done."

Farore nodded. She had been expecting that answer, after all. She held up a single item for Link, who took the bundle in his hands, opening it quickly. A long, golden blade with a shimmering blue handle and a Tri-Force etched into its base met Link's vision.

"The Master Sword! But… I put this back in the Pedestal!"

Farore laid her hand on Link's forehead. "Yes, but I pulled it out. You're going to need it, and some more clout, for the mission I have for you. I will explain it when we get to our destination, Champion. We cannot stay here."

Link's body glowed with a brilliant green light, his mind blissfully blank, as Farore's magic removed him from his homeworld….

---------------------_Another World, Another Time_-------------------------

The enemy army had retreated. But it didn't matter to the residents of Windia Castle. Their lifeblood, their shining star, had been taken from them. And this time, he was alone with only Estella and Jeane, who had caught in the blast, according to Rody. It had been some days since that green blast had stolen their leader from them, and they were getting along without him. But only just.

Everyone seemed dead to the world. Hopes were falling, and dreams were slowly being crushed. Reni, who had been depending on her father to return, was the worst off. She now had nobody. Her former mother, though Reni could see the tears in her eyes, scared her to no end. And her father, her only source of comfort, was gone.

People were jumpy, as well, fully expecting a full-out assault at any given time. At the vaguest sign of magic, every single fighter in the place had their weapons drawn. They had one of their number forcibly removed; they would not allow another to be taken so easily. All of Ranma's girls, however, indeed, most of the girls of the castle, were in a volatile mood. The man they loved had been taken, an insult that would soon meet dire consequences.

It was, therefore, understandable why a whole army or women, and some men, gathered underneath the portal that was forming just in front of the castle. The swirling, rippling energy filled them all with dread, and their rips tightened on their weapons.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard to be screaming profanities as the portal began to shrink. The crowd collectively shook their heads. It couldn't be. There was no way.

But there was. As quickly as it had appeared, the portal began to coalesce and shrink, solidifying into a humanoid form. In mere moments, the swirling energy took on some definite color, and finally, the magic aura was gone, leaving a pig-tailed young man to fall to the ground, screaming, it seemed, at a tiny red ball of light that was following him.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS THE QUICKEST WAY, I DON'T WANN-OH SHIIIIIIIIIT!"

The crowd winced as the young man was embedded into the ground face-first. He gingerly picked himself up, glaring at the red ball of light, and dusted himself off. He turned to the ball of light and sighed.

"Din, I'm sorry, but I kinda don't like bein' chucked outta mid-air like that. Now, what were ya sayin' about your sisters and their champs bein' here soon?"

The ball of light bounced up and down, apparently speaking to the young man with its odd, musical language, and he shrugged.

"Okay, so they'll be here in about twelve hours? Cool. Maybe I can get some more spell practice in, then…"

Suddenly realizing he was being watched, he sheepishly put his hand underneath his red-streaked pigtail, completely forgetting that his arm was now a silver gauntlet. "Um…hi. Sorry 'bout all this. My name-"

A tall young woman with a jade ponytail interrupted him as she latched onto him, sobbing into his chest. She was followed by two young girls, one with a pink ribbon in her hair, and one with short silver hair, in hugging him and crying their eyes out.

"Oh, god, Ranma, you're alive! You're alive and you're back! Oh, god, thank you. I can't believe you're back!"

The young man simply looked down and patted the girl awkwardly on the back.

"Umm….sure. Just one question."

The girl looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes, as the man she loved looked back into hers.

"How do ya know my name?"

* * *

A/N: (1) – PLEASE, nobody say anything about this. I KNOW the Link everybody thinks about is blonde, I KNOW! THIS IS NOT HIM! Anybody who can guess which Link it is gets a cookie! 

And by the way, nobody really got a cookie from the last one.

And KaraOhki and mee-ow…Akane being the way she is is part of the plotline. I DO have a reason for making her that way. I HAVE read the manga, and I DO realize that Akane is a sweet, caring girl SOME of the time, but she is also insanely jealous of Ranma's abilities, the girls, and I know she'd do anything to be able to get a one-up on Ranma, to be the best. Magical Dogi, anyone? Or Super-Soba Noodles? Maybe YOU ought to read the manga, ne?


	3. Chapter One: Three's A Crowd

**Four Brothers**  
_A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by  
Matthew Talbain and MadHat886_

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½, Sonic the Hedgehog, Suikoden, or any and all related properties.

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by MadHat886, and myself  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts  
of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

-----------------**Chapter 1: Three's A Crowd**-----------------

Ranma leaned over the edge of the bucket, vomiting profusely as he supported his weight. He stood, swayed, and began walking towards the ballroom. Never, never, NEVER was he going to allow that…that…mad creature masquerading as a girl to come near him ever again!(1) He stood up straight, brushing his shirt down, and lifted his chin as he entered the room.

Arrayed around him, like an army of women and a smattering of men, were arrnaged the various members of the castle, minus very few. Ranma found himself wondering at the sheer amount of high-power fighters in the room. It was unreal! Part of the power came from odd, glowing emblems on some of these people's arms, foreheads, and such. But still, Ranma was shocked almost into silence. Until Din shifted from her fairy form into her Goddess form. Then the room itself became quiet.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Din, and I have much to show you. However, it would be…inappropriate of me to continue before my sisters arrive."

With that, a pair of swirling vortexes, much like the one Ranma had appeared from, became apparent in the middle of the air, though they were green and blue, rather than red. The reason for this became apparent as the portals materialized into a pair of people, each followed by a green and blue fairy, respectively. Ranma could only assume these would be his two partners.

The two "fairies" quickly grew into golden beings with glowing eyes, though a quick survey of the room around them showed that their current appearance was not a very good one, as far as conversation goes. Deciding that they needed to take a more public relations-oriented form, all three goddesses stood in the middle of the room. A quick burst of light revealed three young women, ranging from tall and red, to short and green. Din, the tallest, had long, red hair bound in a huge ponytail at the back of her head and wore a skintight bodysuit, a simple pair of bracelets dangling from her wrists. A pair of hair-tails dangled at her temples, pointed outwards. Nayru, of middle height, had long, straight blue hair that hung freely, though a long blue tail extended upwards a good bit, and she wore a loose-hanging dress that draped off of her shoulders. Lastly, Farore wore a green tunic similar to the blonde guy that came with her, though her hair was an eye-catcher, to say the least. A pair of buns rested at the top of two long, thin sticks of hair, tied off by ribbons. Her tunic-dress was decorated with odd bits of runic design, though the "cute" look was not detracted from a bit.

Ranma shook his head to keep from staring as Din stepped forward, beckoning for the three Champions to stand together.

"We are sorry to have had to invade your homeworld, but the presence of Dark Hat and his siblings here has made it the ideal planning and staging area for my sisters and myself. We have much to do, and little time to do it in. Please, address what questions you have to my sisters and myself. But first, I shall allow my champions to introduce themselves, beginning, of course, with one you are already familiar with." With this, she beckoned to Ranma.

Ranma stepped forward, clearing his throat, even as the young girl with the ribbon stepped forward and tugged on his sleeve. He looked down, and smiled at her. She smiled back, shyly. He bent down and picked her up, placing her in his shoulders. For some reason, the giggling she made at this motion filled his heart with something he hadn't felt in quite some time. Joy.

"Well, uh…my name's Ranma Saotome, but I guess ya already know that, what with me bein' the second one ya met, or somethin'. Anyway, my story is that, about two days ago, I was sittin' around, mindin' my business, when Akane, that's my fiancée, got all steamed and pounded me. But that usually happened, as any of the fiancée girls here can tell ya. Naw, what's unusual was the way she LOOKED. She looked self-satisfied. Hell, she looked like I usually do after winnin' a fight."

At this, many old Nerima characters began to whisper amidst themselves. Link, meanwhile, leaned over and whispered to Ranma. "Two days? My transportation was but mere minutes."

Ranma replied, "I'll get to that in a minute."

He stepped forward once again, more confidence filling him as he looked around. "Anyway, I went downstairs, ate the breakfast Kasumi made me, and gave her a hug. This is when some seriously weird shit started happenin'. So, Akane walks in, an' I'm like 'I ain't gonna take this shit no more', and I go to block the hit. And my arm, right about a few inches past my elbow, starts to feel all weird and weak, like it's bein' turned to much or somethin'. And she hits it, and the bone just BREAKS. Everybody charged in, yellin' at me for doin' somethin' wrong, or tellin' me I'm gonna marry them, or some other shit like that. An' then Doc Tofu comes in, tells me that my healin' factor makes the wound months old in a few hours, and he can't reate-rata…put it back on. So I'm gettin' all depressed an' all, 'cuz I won't be able to do no martial arts with half an arm, when Din here comes in an' offers me a chance to do somethin' right. She says I'll get my arm back, an' more power, but I gotta give it my all. So I said yeah, an' she gave me what she promised: a new life, an' a new arm made outta somethin' called the Silver Gauntlets."

At this, Link gasped. "The Silver Gauntlets? But, those relics were long lost to the sands of time! My own Titan's Mitt is but a pale imitation and couldn't stand up to the onslaught of might that the Silver Gauntlets could unleash! And if you ever acquire the Golden Gauntlets…" Link allowed the statement to taper off as he knelt in awe of Ranma's power. Din glared at Ranma a bit, wondering why he hadn't told her about the weakness of his arm previous to the attack. Ranma merely blushed and tugged at the base of his pigtail.

"Yeah, um… sure. Anyway, so Din takes me away, but she says, martial artist I may be, but there's people an' creatures everywhere that I'm gonna hafta fight that'd kill me just by touchin' me, gauntlet or no gauntlet. Well, I say, sure, I getcha, but I'd rather use a sword than anythin', an' I ain't got my mom's sword, an' I ain't gonna ask her for it. So, like, she says my mom's sword ain't gonna do jack shit anyway, an' she's got a sword all picked out for me. Next thing I know, I'm bein' all but dropped on this spiky-haired guy named Cloud. Guy really helps me out, but they're getting' their asses handed to them by the Evil Ones. Din says we gotta come back an' help 'em later on, 'cuz one guy like me ain't gonna do jack shit by myself. But she says we can help out these people and get myself a sword at the same time. So she has me spend some time learning some o' the magic her blessing bestowed on me, an' then she sends me an' Cloud to this Shinra place. So Cloud, this Aeris chick, an' that tomboy, Tifa, well, they get into a fight with this freaky scientist dude named Hojo, an' while they're keeping him busy, Din an' me sneak into some sorta subsection or somethin'. There's this freaky-lookin' dead dude, and there's this HUGE sword! Din says its name is Masamune, an' if I don't take it, both me and Aeris're screwed. So I figure, what the hell, and I take it. Then, while Cloud and the others're gettin' away in a truck an' a bike, I'm bein' dragged through another portal. An' I ended up here, an' that's about it."

The crowd was silent, but one person did not want to be for very long. The girl atop his shoulders tapped him on the crown of his head, and Ranma looked up.

"Umm….Mr. Ranma? Can you show us the sword?"

Ranma smiled and reached for his waist with his right hand. He jumped back as he made a drawing motion, and suddenly, a seven-foot-long blade was held before him, looking incredibly sharp and lethal. "Besides that dead guy, I'm the only one who can wield the Masamune. An' that's only 'cuz of the fourteen years of trainin' Pop's been puttin' me through. So, what's your name, anyhow?"

The girl smiled at him and hugged his head. Ranma shrugged imperceptibly. Far be it for him to decide how a teenager should act. Hell, maybe this was how they SHOULD act, for all he knew.

"I'm Reni! You're nice, just like my papa!"

At this, Ranma's eyes widened. At the thought of a little girl connecting him and the word "papa", he just knew that Akane's mallet, Ukyou's spatula, and various other implements were gonna hit him. He flinched, ducking to one knee and pulling Reni into his arms, shielding her with his body.

The various girls in the crowd who were formerly of their Ranma's Nerima stared. They had never seen their Ranma in such a state. One day, he had disappeared, and then later on, he had reappeared, self-confident and sure of what he wanted. But this Ranma…this Ranma was fresh from Nerima, and was likely the best testament of their former behavior. Each girl silently swore to make it up to Ranma, both of them.

When he realized that no attack was forthcoming, Ranma stood to his full height, putting a giggling Reni back on top of his shoulders. The sound filled the castle-goers with hope, as Reni had been woefully silent since Ranma had vanished with the others.

Shadow stepped forward, and as the light struck him, the crowd gasped. Sure, they had animal-like people, but nothing like him! His height, just touching five-foot nine inches, impressed them for an animal person, but that wasn't where it stopped. What seemed to be hair also looked to be spikes, long and black, and the blue streaks in his hair seemed to glow in tandem with Nayru's eyes, as Ranma's red streaks did with Din's. A blue streak, "V"-shaped, slashed down across each of his eyes to meet at his chin.

"My name is Shadow, and I am not from a world any of you would be familiar with. Nor have I any inclination to share the intimacies of my life with you. Let me just say that I woke up one day, betrayed my friends, betrayed my world, and betrayed the memory of my beloved, all for one man. That man betrayed me, and my friends forgave me. I felt worthless, so I went to kill myself. Nayru appeared and gave me the chance to redeem myself. She took my hand, took me to the headquarters of the Freedom Fighters from another world where my kind exist, and gave me the Sword of Acorns, a legendary weapon capable of restoring those under mind control to their natural state. Then she took me here."

With that, he stepped back, unknowingly smiling at the sight of Ranma playing with Reni. If their was hope for him, then maybe….

Link stepped forward. His green tunic hung lightly, and the white pants underneath thankfully preserved what modesty the tunic wouldn't. The brown sleeves on the tunic had to go, though, and the various girls in the crowd suddenly came to a silent, unanimous decision: these boys were getting a fashion makeover! Like it or not! The three young men shivered, but Link went on.

"I am Link of the Hylian Knights. My story is not as simple as my colleague's. I had been on a quest to kill Ganondorf, the King of Evil, who possessed the Tri-Force, an Artefact capable of granting the wish of whoever held it. Over my adventures, I met many friends, and acquired many treasures. However, as I entered the battle with the King of Evil himself, a great shadow overwhelmed him, and he disappeared. The Tri-Force had been left behind, and I laid my hand upon it, wishing to restore the world to a peaceful state. I found myself in Hyrule Castle, standing before the King and his daughter, Zelda. They thanked me for all I had done, congratulated me, and made me a knight on the spot. I returned my sword, the Master Sword, to its resting place and went on to serve my duty as a knight, alongside my uncle, who shared the same duty as I. Months passed, and I became restless. It was in a dream, then, that Farore approached me and told me of a quest she required me to perform. She sent me on a ship, where a storm tossed me onto an island. There, I met a beautiful maiden, a village full of people, another of animals, and many strange people. To shorten that story, I awakened the island's deity, the Windfish, but found myself in bare ocean. The island had been the Windfish's dream, and thus, as it awakened, the island vanished."

Link paused to breathe, pulling out a bottle and quickly slugging back something that looked like milk. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and then continued.

"I was returned to my homeland by a passing trade-ship, and resumed my knightly duties. I was home for but days when Farore approached me, physically this time, with a quest to stop her four brothers. And thus, I am here now, because my Goddess asks it of me."

At this, Link stepped back to join his comrades, one of whom was cleaning his guns, the other playing with his daughter-by-proxy. The crowd roared with questions suddenly, people wanting demonstrations, demanding answers, and begging for sparring matches. Din, already somewhat irritated, flared her aura. The crowd fell silent.

"Ranma, why didn't you tell me about the feeling in your arm before?"

Ranma shrugged. "Didn't seem important."

Din gave him a flat stare. "Ranma, it's incredibly important. It means Akane isn't totally under her own power!"

At this, Ranma's unconcerned stare became a razor-sharp blade. "Huh?"

"My brother, Karn, is my opposite. Where I give power to my own representative, Karn's representatives WEAKEN others. And given that Akane was not acting as she normally did, it seems to me that late the night before the incident, Karn appeared to Akane, offering her the ability to defeat anybody. Akane, thinking it was like the Magical Dogi from your memories, agreed. Karn then took her over, twisting her personality with his power, and the next morning Karn made her want to weaken and debilitate you! I am sorry, Ranma, but you see now why it was important. The possession was young enough that I might have been able to push it out…."

Ranma shrugged, his eyes becoming cold as steel. His speech straightened out with his spine. "It doesn't matter. If she was willing to share her soul with a monster like that just to beat me, then maybe she didn't care for me like I thought. We'll free her, just like everybody else, later." He clenched his metallic right hand forcefully, a blazing triangle appearing in the ruby on the back.

At this, Ranma turned to the crowd. "Now, anybody gonna tell me about the other me? 'Cuz I'd kinda like ta know about 'im."

Instantly, a horde of girls surrounded him, and Ranma settled in for a long, long night of trading stories….

----------------------_Another World, Far Away_-----------------------

He hung, the chains cutting into the skin of his wrists. He no longer noticed, nor did he care. His one thought was of the death of his tormentor. He stared him in the eyes, the sweat beading off of his face as he gathered up enough spit to hurl into the bastard's face. His answer was a renewed round of metaphysical agony and a curt, British voice sneering its words.

"Insolent whelp. Your first mistake was being born. Your second was choosing HIM as your mentor. Your third was seeking revenge for his death. Give up, admit you were wrong, and I'll give you the pleasure of dying by my hands!"

Another saliva-ball was his answer. "You… you bastard! I can't believe he trusted you! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MOTHER FUC-AAAGH!"

A sneer, and more torture, was the response. A greasy hand cupped his chin, forcing his eyes up. "You little pile of filth. I'd like to see you try. Even your precious mentor couldn't hurt me, not with the power I possess. Now, I'll leave you to your own death. I hear starving to death is VERY painful." With the swish of a cloak, he turned his back and slammed the door shut, leaving his seventeen-year-old captive screaming and guttering in a howling rage, his hands tearing into the shackles.

A whitish glow began to fill the chamber, though the prisoner did not notice it. He was beyond sanity, a berserker rage having descended upon him. It was hard, however, to ignore the mask that suddenly appeared before his face, in the middle of a glowing cloud of white.

"Anger…."

His eyes widened as the mask spoke, its mouth unmoving.

"Fury….Revenge….Wrath…."

The mask drifted closer, its empty eyes so full of kinship to the young captive.

"I can free you. I can give you the revenge you desire. But you must help me, in return. My sisters are fighting a battle they cannot win. And my counterpart desires to hurt my own mentor. Join with me! I will give you the revenge you want!"

The figure nodded, and the mask apparently smiled. "Good, then. Join with me, join with Kishin, Demon-God of Wrath!"

A brilliant white light filled the room, before the mask flipped and placed itself on the figure's face. The flash intensified, and suddenly, both mask and wearer were gone…

-----------------_Windia Castle, Rooftop_---------------------

"Ranma, what is wrong?"

Din floated lightly down to her disciple, who was studying the stars. They were unfamiliar to him, yet they comforted him.

"It's just…they were all just tellin' me about their Ranma's life, an' how he was treated an' everything. And I got to thinkin' that I was treated the same way. If that thing with Mom an' the sword had happened, I'm pretty sure I'd done the same as their Ranma. But I haven't, Din, an' now I want to. So I'm doin' the same thing theirs did. I'm forsakin' my name. Both of 'em."

At this, Ranma stood and yelled to the stars, pulling the Masamune out and nicking the palm of his left hand, throwing the blood to the stars. "Ranma Saotome will never exist again in this body! Take this blood, the last of his blood, as a sacrifice! I will forever be known as Agrias Freeheart!" He sliced off his pigtail, and his hair suddenly seemed to snap into a new position. It seemed slicked back, though on the right side, a curious spiky tail extended briefly upwards before spiking down in three 'combs'.(2) "I give up my old life! I give up everything! From now on, it's my show!"

The stars twinkled, it seemed, in response, as the new Agrias jumped down to the ground where his partners were waiting, unknowing of the stares the various people of the castle were giving him. The stares intensified, however, when the largest resident of the castle met him on one of his walks.

Mr. Green Turtle, having decided to go for a walk, unerringly homed in on the resident chaos magnet. Agrias, who was used to being viewed as a snack by the huge reptile, batted his mouth away, unaware of Mr. Green Turtle's true intentions. Nor was he aware of his own strength, as Mr. Green Turtle was soon embedded a foot into a wall across the way.

"How dare you!"

SMACK!

Agrias stood there, rubbing his throbbing red cheek, as Kodachi went to comfort the dazed animal that is her pet. "What the hell did I do?"

* * *

A/N: (1) – See Suikoden One Half Sidestory "Unexpected Arrival". 

(2) – Raphael's hairstyle from Soul Calibur III.


	4. Chapter Two: A Fourth Sword

**Four Brothers**  
A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain and MadHat886 

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½, Sonic the Hedgehog, Harry Potter,  
Suikoden, any and all related properties, or Linkin Park's "In the End".

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by MadHat886, and myself  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts

Of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

-----------------_**Arc One: Courage and Terror**_-----------------

_It starts with  
__One thing, I don't know why.  
__It doesn't even matter how hard you try.  
__Keep that in mine, I designed this rhyme  
__To explain in due time, all I know.  
__Time is a valuable thing.  
__Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings,  
__Watch it count down to the end of the day  
__The clock ticks life away.  
__It's so unreal.  
__I didn't look out below  
__Watched the time go right out the window  
__I tried to hold on, but didn't even know  
__I wasted it all just to watch you go.  
__I kept everything inside and even though I tried  
__It all fell apart.  
__What it meant to me will eventually be  
__A memory of a time when I tried  
__So hard, and got so far.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter.  
__I had to fall to lose it all.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter.  
__One thing, I don't know why  
__It doesn't even matter how hard you try.  
__Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme  
__To remind myself how I tried so hard.  
__In spite of the way you were mocking me.  
__Acting like I was part of your property.  
__Remembering all the times you fought with me.  
__I'm surprised it got so far.  
__Thing aren't the way they were before.  
__You wouldn't even recognize me anymore!  
__Not that you knew me back then,  
__But it all comes back to me in the end.  
__You kept everything inside and even though I tried  
__It all fell apart.  
__What it meant to me will eventually be  
__A memory of a time when I tried  
__So hard, and got so far.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter.  
__I had to fall to lose it all.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter.  
__I've put my trust in you.  
__Pushed as far as I can go.  
__For all this, there's only one thing  
__You should know.  
__I've put my trust in you!  
__Pushed as far as I can go!  
__For all this, there's only one thing  
__You should know!  
__I tried so hard, and got so far.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter.  
__I had to fall to lose it all.  
__But in the end, it doesn't even matter._

-----------------**Chapter Two: A Fourth Sword**-----------------

He stared at the stars, his partners long since asleep. It had become habit for him since landing on this world to stare at the unfamiliar constellations and award them names of his own invention. Shadow and Link were wonderful friends, though Link seemed somewhat…lost whenever he was alone. It was as though he didn't know what to do on his own! And Shadow…Shadow was kind of cold. It seemed that he had a trust issue, but that was understandable. Agrias himself found it hard to trust, especially after he'd found out the woman he had loved so much had severed his arm with powers she'd accepted just because she couldn't handle not being the best.

A sharp tug at his shirt reminded him of his current needs, and of his partner in observing the heavens. He looked down at Reni and smiled, before bending down and lifting her onto his shoulders.

"Uncle Agrias, your new armor's ready, but Mister Dominic says that you'll need some new clothes to go with it."

Agrias nodded. He'd figured there would be something like that. After all, his clothes and Link's tunic were becoming ratty. A week of constant spell practice would do that to silks, and probably even more so to…whatever material Link's clothes were made of.

"Mistress Lilly in Brass Castle could help you out! She's great. Would you like me to take you there tomorrow, Uncle Agrias?"

"Sure!"

Agrias nodded as he headed for the armory, being careful not to upset Reni's position. As he continued to walk, he felt Reni tense up, and he looked up to follow her gaze. He saw her looking at that silver-haired girl, Chris, and saw that Chris was talking with Tina about something, looking incredibly sad. He was about to turn away when he heard Reni's barely audible whisper.

"…Mommy…."

Agrias' eyes narrowed. He set Reni down, carefully making certain that she was not within audible range of Chris and Tina, and squatted beside her. "What's wrong, Reni?"

The girl shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Uncle Agrias."

Agrias' eyes narrowed as he summoned all of his willpower to fight off his hick accent, as well as to ward off his foot-in-mouth syndrome. The effect was prodigious, to say the least.

"Reni, you look at Chris and you tense up, and you just whispered 'mommy'. Something's wrong, and I don't think it should stay this way."

Reni broke down, hugging Agrias and sobbing into his shoulder as he hugged her, awkwardly patting her back as she explained everything. His eye frosted over as he heard of Chris' killing of Reni, and he had to fight the urge to walk over and kill her then and there. How could she kill such a sweet child?

As the story wore on, however, Agrias had to force himself to understand everything. Surely there was a reason Chris' sword had found itself embedded in Reni's body? Without thinking about it, Agrias placed Reni on his shoulders and invoked the Umisenken, sneaking over to where Chris and Tina were talking.

"…and she avoids me so much! I'm sorry Tina, but you won't change my mind! I hurt Reni, and Ranma's disappearance isn't helping much."

The jade-haired fighter glared at Chris, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"Well, it doesn't matter, Chris. I know he isn't going to go for it."

Chris sniffled, sitting down on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"I hope he does. After what I did to Reni, I deserve it."

Tina's slap echoed across the area. Briefly, Agrias felt Reni tense up again, but the feeling passed as soon as it came, and Tina was tearing into Chris once more.

"Damnit, Chris, wake up! You didn't know she was the real Reni, what else could you have done? That bastard planned it, don't you get it! He wanted to split you, Reni, and Ranma apart! He had that girl, Puppet make those dolls for a reason, and you're giving him what he wants! No, you know what, fine. Ask Agrias to kill you. Ask Agrias to take your life the Ranma vowed he would if you fucked up again. But tell him the whole truth first."

With that, Tina stormed into the castle, leaving a sobbing, broken Chris to look at the stars. Agrias, feeling Reni's hands tighten in his hair, set her on the ground and placed a hand on her forehead. He funneled his ki through a triangular mark on the back of his right hand, creating a tunnel of ki to connect Reni and himself. With this, he dropped the Umisenken around himself, but he used the ki tunnel to keep it around Reni. He walked up to Chris and tapped her on the shoulder.

He despised what he saw. The puffy redness, the bags under her eyes, and the defeated slump in her posture tore at Agrias' heart. This girl was hurt, and only a blind, deaf, dumb, and idiotic moron would miss it.

"Ra..I mean, Agrias. He…hello." Chris looked up at him from her position on the ground, her hand quickly flying up to dry her tears.

"What do you want, Chris?"

The blunt question shocked Chris into some semblance of emotional order, the lack of sensitivity in the statement awakening some of the ire in the recesses of her soul.

"I…I want to die, Agrias."

"Why?"

The unrelenting assault of emotionlessness that Agrias was exuding was making Chris madder. Little did she realize that he was using the Soul of Ice to make her mad, to make her make what she would perceive as a mistake.

"I hurt Reni, damnit. I killed my little girl!"

"She's still alive. I see no harm done."

Chris twitched, standing up and glaring at Agrias. Certainly, he bore a superficial resemblance to her Ranma, but damnit, he was not Ranma!

"Ranma brought her back, but look at her! She flinches every time she sees me! She hates me!"

"I say again: what do you want?"

Chris smacked him across the face. She pulled her hand back, noticing only the pain such an action resulted in. Agrias didn't even recoil from the strike.

"I want you to leave me alone, damnit! Leave me alone or kill me!"

"Why do you deserve to die?"

Chris snapped. She ran headlong into Agrias' chest, beating him, smacking him, doing whatever she could to hurt him. She saw red, crying her eyes out as she beat his chest. Her energy sapped, she looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"What do you want, Chris?"

She buried her face in his shoulder.

"I want my daughter back! I want to hold her, to kiss her, to rock her to sleep! I want her to conspire with me against Ranma; I want to hear her laugh! I want her to call me "mommy" again! I'll do anything, Agrias! I…just….want….my…daughter back!"

The last sentence broken by sobs, Chris slumped against Agrias, her body and spirit exhausted to the point of sleep. Agrias broke the ki tunnel connecting him to Reni, bringing her into the visible spectrum. He lifted Chris' body and carried her over to Reni's bodyguards, Emma and Wendy.

"Take Reni over to the armory to get my party's armor, an' make sure she gets some good rest. By the way, would ya girls mind taking me an' Reni an' the guys over to Brass tomorrow? Reni said she'd like ta help get us some new clothes to go with the armor."

Emma, whom Agrias was fighting very hard not to call an uncute tomboy, nodded and clicked her spear against her shield, hiding her blush. Wendy, seeing this, growled in the back of her throat, but didn't do anything. Ranma had resisted a whole castle of girls so far, why would Agrias be any different with Emma? She sighed, turning and escorting a shaking Reni to Dominic's armory.

Agrias, meanwhile, carried Chris up to her room. He laid her down gently, and summoned Din from wherever her fairy form hid.

"Hey, Din? How do I cast that "Peaceful Rest" spell that Nayru taught Shadow?"

The fairy bobbed from side to side. "You can't learn that spell, Agrias. You and the others know a derivative of the original spell, "Dreamless Slumber", but as the Great Power that flows within us is of a particular element, we must use derivatives of the original, mana-based spells."

Agrias nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know all that. We were goin' over this three weeks ago, remember? Back in Midgar? Anyway, what deri..deiv…copy of the spell can I use?"

The fairy settled on Chris' forehead, looking up at Agrias, before bobbing again. "Lay the index and middle fingers of your dominant hand against her forehead and manipulate your fire-earth flows to gently bathe her in peaceful dreams. This spell is called 'Hearth Dreams'."

Agrias nodded and did so, laying his metallic two fingers against Chris' head. As he manipulated his mana, which was prevalent in the form of Fire and Earth element, he chanted what words came naturally to him silently. Chris' tense, sweaty face suddenly lapsed into restful peace. As Agrias turned and left her to her dreams, he heard her whisper.

"Oh, Ranma…I love you so much."

Agrias smiled as he entered his own room, shucking his Chinese tangs and laying on top of his mattress. Man, damn, did his counterpart have some serious troubles when it came to women! At least he wasn't in a situation where numerous girls were willing to do ANYTHING to get him in bed!

Outside, a pair of women carrying their own weapons, plus several new sets of armor, sneezed. Their charge looked up at them strangely.

"Somebody must be thinking about you two!"

-------------------Early Next Morning----------------------

"What manner of armor is this, Agrias? And why are we going to a metal castle to get clothes to wear with it?"

The indicated martial artist looked over at Link. "What're ya askin' me for? I got no clue what's what. I ain't never worn armor before. And Brass Castle ain't really brass, it's just the castle's name!"

The cause for Agrias' irritation made itself known in the form of a pair of bickering women behind him. Agrias, who was holding Reni in his lap, was trying desperately to ignore the various references made to him by the two bodyguards. His various attempts to ignore them included attempting to drag Shadow into a conversation, which was rather like pulling Mr. Green Turtle's teeth: it was dangerous to your health. They also included trying to have Reni point out the various landmarks, but the way to Brass Castle was surprisingly lacking in those, at least to Agrias, and he had finally attempted to talk to Link about armor. The results of that conversation resulted in Link holding up a brown girdle-like object and inquiring about it.

Agrias himself had no idea what his armor was for, and he didn't ask the two bodyguards for fear of them offering to "help" him put it on. Thus he was irritable most of the way to Brass Castle.

As their party trundled into the castle's first gate, Agrias couldn't help but whistle. This place was pretty big. He wondered how a fortress like this could support the village it had inside it, but shrugged. He had no more time to think before Reni had his hand locked in hers.

"Come on, Uncle Agrias! Mistress Lilly's is this way!"

Out of reflex, he grabbed Link, who grabbed Shadow. Emma and Wendy followed, snickering at the men's reaction.

It was some time later that found the men standing before a mirror, decked out in their various costumes, complete with armor. Link's was a strange concoction, a green topcoat with a twin cape adorning the back. The bronze armor piece covered his abdomen, and the top of it was partially covered by the topcoat. Long, black pants covered his legs, a pair of brown fingerless gauntlets decorated his hands, and a pair of brown leather boots completed the ensemble.(1) All told, along with the various plates of metal woven into the garment's by weave, Link felt rather heavy, yet protected. Certainly even his red tunic, which had been completely fashioned of chain, was no match to this in protection value. Shadow was different. His only garment, of course, was a pair of thick blue jeans, made at his direction of course. The reason for this was of course the spines of hair extending down to the small of his back. He even had a hole in the jeans for his tail! His armor, however, was excellent. He had a pair of greaves, upper leg armor, in the form of bands of steel crossing horizontally to cover his thighs, while two pairs of heavy-plated boots protected his ankles and feet and a bandolier with a single blue-steel pauldron protected his right shoulder. Finally, a pair of thick leather fingerless gauntlets, armored with plates similar to Ranma's, only blue, completed his costume. Agrias, at the last, was wearing a pair of black jeans, made at his direction, and a tight long-sleeved red shirt. His armor, however, was a crimson breastplate with two shoulder pauldrons, the armor inlaid with some form of silver filigree.(2) His legs were protected by greaves and plated boots, like Shadow, and his Silver Gauntlet remained on his left hand. His right arm was ungauntleted for obvious reasons.

"I like it." All three of them were of a very high opinion of their armor.

"Good! Link, Agrias, Shadow, we have to get out of here now!"

All three turned to a trio of goddesses, each of them wearing grim features.

"Why?"

Reni's question dashed Agrias' heart, as he had not foreseen how she would feel about his needed disappearance.

"We need to get back to Windia Castle to prepare for our first raid! And we have company!"

Agrias and Link were about to open their mouths to ask whom when a tall, imposing figure entered the room. His jeans, under-tunic, and leather gauntlets were pure black. A single, arm-and-shoulderless muscled breastplate, decorated with strange runes across the breast, adorned his chest and dipped to protect his groan. His legs were unarmored save a pair of black leather boots. His hair, however, was a sharp contrast. It was midnight black, and fell in a long, straight ponytail. He wore a pure white hat. His face, too, was a contrast. His pupil-less eyes were ringed by a crimson, batwing tattoo, and a blue "V" crossed his forehead like a circlet. A curious lightning-shaped scar bisected the "V" in the middle, however. The most intimidating thing about him, though, was the huge sword across his back. Shaped like a helix and as tall as its wielder, if not taller, it screamed 'power!'

Agrias and the rest gulped as the figure scanned them, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the other gripping a strange, sticklike object.

"My name's Harry Potter, and I am possessed of the power of Kishin, the Fierce God of Wrath!"

* * *

A/N: (1) Think of Raphael's costume from Soul Calibur III. 

(2) Similar to Zhao Yun's outfit, with a different color scheme, in Dynasty Warriors III.


	5. Chapter Three: Into the Fray

**Four Brothers**  
_A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain and MadHat886_

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½, Sonic the Hedgehog, Suikoden, or any and all related properties.

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by MadHat886, and myself  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts  
Of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

-----------------**Chapter Three: Into The Fray**-----------------

The trio of warriors each scanned the newcomer, their eyes narrowed to the point of slits. His imposing physique, his threatening manner, and his dark features screamed at their danger senses and their instincts. It spoke well of their training when, without looking at each other, they fanned out into the best tactical position and began to inch their hands to their weapons. They had been itching to test out their abilities.

"Stop."

The simple command seemed to come from Harry, yet his voice was not what had spoken. All three of the heroes faltered, and found themselves immobilized by the word, as though it were a spell. The three stared aghast when Harry's face detached itself. Suddenly, in a stark flash of light, Harry's body was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, no longer in the threatening colors, and his hair was much shorter, albeit still black. His scar, of a curious lightning shape, had remained, but now his eyes gleamed a brilliant emerald. His face, however much calmer, still bespoke of a strong desire for pain and suffering upon another person. It was rather like revenge.

This made no sense to the three heroes, who had stopped edging for their weapons. What had they done that would make Harry want to visit revenge upon them? The question was taken out of their hands by the floating face, which was exactly as it had been upon Harry, save only the scar.

"Be still, Heroes. I am Kishin, and I have watched, from afar, as my three brothers, Karn, Ciylu, and Malkore broke the bonds holding Ganondorf in Hyrule's Dark World. I watched as Ganondorf tore open the Portal to the Vast Infinite. This did not alarm me, for the harm the three could do to the cosmos alone was negligible. They wreaked chaos where they could, but it amounted to nothing. My sisters could deal with it, once it came to their notice."

"It didn't, for some time, however. The Evils caught their attention only once a powerful artifact was found again in Hyrule: Majora's Mask. Gleefully, they took the Mask and brought it to Harry's world, where it grew into its own power and became the fourth of the Evils. Upon that occurrence, my sisters rallied and began to traverse the cosmos in secret, searching for champions in the belief that the four had only just awakened. Farore, remaining behind, had decided to enlist Link's aid, as he was Hylian and a hero already, while Din and Nayru could not find another with a power so close to their own wavelength in Hyrule."

"I, myself, remained in the shadows. Majora's power was still not so great as to require my presence: I was not even needed when the Hero of Time found and used me in the moon. He would have been capable of doing battle with Majora himself. So I waited."

"It was when they began to move insidious forces into Midgar that I interfered, because I realized that once they added Sephiroth's power, dead as he may be, they would become nigh unstoppable. I was going to move in myself, and give Cloud Strife my blessing as the Ultima Weapon, when Agrias and Din arrived to retrieve the powerful sword, Masamune. Agrias, I saw you make friends with the girls there, and I know you became friends with Cloud and Barret in the two ...weeks... you were there, so it does me no pleasure to say this: Aerith is dead: Sephiroth was resurrected by Hojo's machinations and he murdered her as she prayed for everyone: including you."

At this, the mask ceased talking and all the faces turned to Agrias. He clenched his metallic fist, ignorant of the fact that he could now move his body, and hung his head.

**--FLASH--** "My name's Aerith. Would you like to buy a flower?" "You fell from all the way up there, with Cloud? Wow, you really can't stay out of trouble!" "See, with this costume, and Ranma's curse, there's no way we can't get into the mansion!" "Ranma, look out!" "Ranma, are you okay?" "I'll always remember you, Ranma, no matter what!" "Ranma…do you ever dream about the stars?" "Ranma…I think the planet likes you! Hee hee!" "Ranma…" "Ranma…." "Ranma, I think I…." **--FLASH--**

Everyone in the party, Harry and the mask included, were shocked at the sight of tears running down Agrias's face. His eyes had clouded, and his body was wracked by silent sobs.

"We can't go back, can we?"

Kishin did not ask what Agrias meant: everyone knew it.

"Not yet, Agrias. Two things: upon the summoning of Holy, the White Materia that Aerith possessed, the dimensional gate leading to Midgar was unbalanced, and now prevents us from traveling there for a few weeks. Second, why would we go? Cloud and the others are perfectly able to defend themselves, and as we cannot enter, neither can the Evils. Their influence was destroyed when Sephiroth was banished back into the Lifestream without the stabilizing powers of the Masamune. His essence is not even present within that world's aura any longer. This worries me some, as he should still have traces of aura within it, but it is of little matter. Nothing could happen."

For some strange reason, everyone in the room that had a back felt shivers running up and down their spine.

"Harry."

The young man stepped forward, reaching into a pouch and withdrawing a small, white sphere. He held it up, and handed it to Agrias.

"We visited her in the Lifestream, and she said she wanted you to have it. We went to the City of the Ancients, her ancestral home, and retrieved it from where it fell."

Everyone watched as Agrias took the sphere in his fleshed hand, the tears falling ever more rapidly as he placed the sphere over his metallic right forearm, and suddenly pushed it in. Seven other glows, four green, one yellow, and two purples, lit up as he pressed the white glow in. He withdrew the Masamune, and eight more of the glows appeared: two green, two blue attached to the green, two yellow, one purple, and one big, glowing red. The white glow, oddly, moved from his forearm to just over his heart, where it began to 'beat' in tandem with the organ. A hand lay on his shoulder as he wept, and he saw Reni out of the corner of his eyes. Agrias looked up at Kishin.

"Please, continue."

The mask tilted and bobbed in the air, performing what appeared to be a nod, and it once again took up its tale.

"With Agrias having severed the Evils connection to Sephiroth, by whatever accident, I was no longer needed. Or so I thought. Agrias's actions had given Majora an idea: if Agrias could defeat a powerful entity as Sephiroth, then why could Majora himself, possessed of demonic powers equivalent to my own, the strongest deity in the Vast Infinite, why could not such a being defeat the infamous Dark Hat?"

"I became enraged. As strong as I am, I am still second to Dark Hat, who was my teacher, my mentor, when I was much, much younger. And with Majora gaining powers, and as an artifact immune to every known way of killing a deity, I believe Majora might, in mere months, maybe able to defeat my mentor. I do have a feeling that my mentor still has a trick up his sleeves to deal with something like this but still… I would not suffer that, so I chose a champion to amplify my own power, to aid the Three Who Are Now Four, and to give him his own revenge, as well. Harry will tell you his story later."

Agrias's fist clenched once more as the mask returned to Harry's face, and the young man didn't even flinch. It was obvious that Harry had spent quite a lot of time with Kishin. Shadow's fist came pounding down on the ground, beating Agrias's by a fraction of a hair.

"DAMNIT! We must do something to stop this! They cannot be allowed to hurt more lives like this!"

Harry, grasping his sword, dropped to the ground on one knee. His eyes turned to Link, who was remaining silent, and began to glow green. He appeared to be viewing some sort of scene, or something else.

"Shadow, we will do something. We will do it now. We have no time to go back to the castle and plan. We don't even have time for a proper portal. I will rip open a dimensional rift, leading directly to the next world. We may not fall into the same area, so clasp shoulders. This world we're going to is very, very dangerous, and possesses incredible numbers of super-powered individuals. Be cautious."

With that, his eyes turned a brilliant red as he slashed through the air with his sword, ripping open a hole in the very fabric of space. Sparks of lightning, jagged and lethal, ran around the edges of the thing, and the company edged towards it. Hands clasped pieces of armor, and Agrias turned back to look at Reni. He mouthed silently "I'll be back, I promise!" and found his grip on Link's shoulder lacking. But it was too late. They fell through the rip, and time stood still.

------------_Somewhere..._--------------

Agrias found himself battered from side to side, struck by lightning, and tossed about like a wooden charm in the wind. Suddenly, the sensation stopped, and he stood up to take stock of his surroundings. The disorientation and weakness pervaded his senses, and Din, too, had been affected. He looked around, finding himself in a strange facility, with tubes and wires all over the place. He found no sign of his brothers anywhere.

"Freeze! Hands in the air, now!"

Agrias was suddenly surrounded by lines of guns, red-eyed biohazard masks covering the faces of the troopers. Agrias raised his hand, where a huge gash could be seen closing up visibly. A new voice echoed.

"Hmm…incredible. Just like….yes. The 23rd chromosome would be intact on this being…yes. Malcolm, subdue the new subject. Designate: Weapon X-24."

Agrias, confused on everything but "subdue", raised his fists to summon whatever powers were available to him to defend himself. He heard footsteps and whirled to face them. Big mistake.

A sharp, prickling pain made itself known in Agrias' neck as he stared at the man holding an oddly shaped gun. A dart was embedded in his neck. A strange thought pervaded Agrias' mentality as the world closed in around him, and his weakness-fogged brain was sedated by a tranquilizer strong enough to bring Ryouga down for good. 'Shoulda taken the Bakusai Ten…ketsu….train…ing.'.

-------------_Atlanta Public Shopping Mall_------------

The three fell out of the portal, their swords drawn. Shadow noted, idly, that Harry was wielding his huge helix sword as well as a straight, ornate bastard sword. He could make out the word "Excalibur" on the hilt, but paid no mind. He found himself fighting giant purple-and-blue humanoid robots. The things stood twice as tall as an average human, and seemed to be encircling the party. Shadow turned, wondering how the robots knew they'd be there, when the fighting stopped. He turned and found four figures huddled together, and all of them female. Judging from the shopping bags on the tall, catlike one's arm, they had been shopping when they had been attacked.

Shadow, Link, and Harry rushed over to the girls' sides. The girls were tired, that much was obvious. One of them, the most catlike one holding the bags, had been fighting them off with her bare hands. Another, slightly less catlike, was holding a huge blaster cannon and aiming at the huge robots, which seemed to be scanning the three newcomers. The blonde girl with the explorer's hat was holding a massive handgun, her knees shaking from fear. The fourth, a tall woman with a rapier drawn, was breathing hard and covering a wound near her shoulder. All four girls turned to the newcomers, and the catlike one was looking with some sort of incredulity at Shadow.

"Who're you guys?"

Shadow stepped forward. "My name is Shadow the Hedgehog, and I am here to help. These are my brothers-in-arms Link and Harry." Each brother nodded as their name was mentioned, standing back to back and holding their swords out and at the ready.

The four girls nodded, noting that strange tattoos were appearing on the faces of Shadow and Link as they powered up their battle aura. The tall woman introduced her own party. "I'm Julia Diggers, and these are my daughters Gina, Britanny, and Brianna." She pointed to the girls respectively. "We accept and appreciate your aid. The Sentinels were giving us some serious shit."

No more was said between them, as there was no chance. The lead Sentinel, a red one rather than purple, stepped forward. "MUTANT GENE DETECTED."

The seven fighters found themselves enclosed once more. Deciding not to be taken advantage of, Harry leapt forward, slicing off a Sentinel's head. The robot dropped, but two more replaced it. Once more, Harry hacked and slashed, but even his god-enhanced powers were not doing much, considering he'd just ripped open a portal through time-space. He didn't have enough energy to cast any of his spells, even. He sighed and took a bit of a breather as he crushed the two Sentinels' heads together, spraying the area with chips, scraps, and oil. He generated a small ball of mana and hurled it through the air, saving Link from a near-beheading.

Link felt the spray of technological devices pelting the back of his tunic, but paid it little heed. He deflected a blast back at its originator with his mirror shield, using the long blade of the master sword to slash another Sentinel as it replaced the destroyed one. In a flash of mischievousness, Link pulled a bomb from his wallet, lit it, and hurled it at yet another new Sentinel, this one preparing to fire some form of blast at Shadow.

Heat and shrapnel from the blast peppered Shadow, but he could care less. He was pelting from Sentinel to Sentinel, slamming his hands and sword hilt into robotic faces. He was moving as fast as he could in the visible spectrum, and smirked as five Sentinels fell in the same instant. He was about to move again when an idea struck him. He gestured to Link, who smirked and nodded, holding up the Master Sword and cocking it over his shoulder, taking a strange stance. Shadow ran right at Link, and some meters in front of Link, leapt off the ground, curling up into a ball. Link hammered Shadow with the flat of the blade, sending him flying in a straight line for a Sentinel. He plowed into its chest and bounced off, whacking another in the side. Another bounce, another casualty, and Shadow wasn't stopping yet.

Still, the battle raged on. The heroes were getting tired, and their attacks were starting to slacken, when a reprieve came in the form of a huge beam of focused red energy blasted into a Sentinel, sending it flying back. The concussive blast had ripped open its chest, and another soon followed its downed twin. The fighting stopped, and the sound of metal ripping through metal dragged their attention from the sparking hulks to the red leader, who had three long claws dragging through it's chest.

With the leader gone, the rest of the Sentinels deactivated, and fell to the ground. Their saviors were revealed. A tall man, wearing a short-sleeved blue jumpsuit with a yellow belt crossing the chest stepped forward, a visor strapped across his eyes. The second one, a similarly jumpsuited man, stepped out to join the first one. He was hunched over, and he had three long, gleaming claws extending from just behind the knuckles of each hand. His face has a feral cast to it, and his hair leaped up in a pair of spiky tapers on each side of his head. The man with the visor stepped forward.

"Are you guys okay?"

A series of nods satisfied his question.

"Good. We're from the X-Men. We heard a band of Sentinels were congregating here in Atlanta, and we came to check it out. I'm Cyclops, and this is my colleague, Wolverine. If you'd please come with us, we have something we need to talk over with all of you, especially since the Sentinels attacked you, and even more so since you actually fought them off."

The group noticed that behind Cyclops was a huge jet. Gina's eyes lit up as she saw the thing. Julia, thinking it prudent to follow the two men, nodded. She pulled out a cell phone and got in touch with her husband as she entered the jet, which was called the Blackbird, and sat in one of the jump seats.

Subtly, Brianna was studying the three young men before her. Well, she assumed the tall, black, spiky one was a young man, but you could never tell with an anthro'. And the green-suited one with the elf ears…he was no elf. His ears were too short, but then, he didn't seem like he came from Jade. And those strange markings on their faces…

The three young men in question merely sat down to recover their stores of mana, as well as their breath. All three, however, were given to wondering where Agrias was.

-------------_Elsewhere…._------------

"It is too bad we cannot influence him with Psi-Borg, as we could the others. No matter. Malcolm, I want you to find everything about this mutant you can, and call in another one of our 'friends'. Our new subject must not rebel against us, and I want you to ensure that he doesn't. Also, do something about that metal hand. Attach a frame to it or something. I want him to be the most powerful weapon we've ever created, Malcolm. Get to it."

"As you say, Professor."

The sound of boots clacking on metal could be heard retreating from the man's side. The odd, echoing notes resounded, an ominous dirge that accompanied the sounds of a tube being inserted into a young man's flesh, and the following music of boiling metal being introduced to the bone…

-------------_Elsewhere…._------------

A figure wearing black armor watched from the shadows as all of this happened. Its mission was to watch and wait as those three Gods, along with its former master, tried to take over. The empty eye sockets on its flaming, horned skull for a head started to glow as it began to imagine paying its former master back. When it had been trapped in the space between worlds, it had little hope of such a dream. Until it was set free by its new master, that is.

A quiet, deep cackle resonated within its empty rib cage, but failed to escape what passed for its skeletal grin. It couldn't risk being discovered so soon, after all.

* * *

**_A/N_**: Magical Dogi was an episode in which Akane received a boost in her abilities from a gi she wore, or martial artist's robe. It was a form of cheating, and Akane's acceptance of the abilities lowered my opinion of her incredibly. 

Also, I decided to give Agrias a little less limelight and focus on character development on the other three. If anyone can name the project that Agrias has stumbled across, you get 20 points.


	6. Chapter Four: Sibling Rivalry

Four Brothers  
A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain and MadHat886 

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½, Sonic the Hedgehog, Suikoden, or any and all related properties, Gold Diggers, or Marvel's X-Men.

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by MadHat886, and myself  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts

Of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

-----------------**Chapter Four: Sibling Rivalry**-----------------

"No…not again…please, anything but that…."

He was in a cell, barely fourteen-by-fourteen. He didn't notice. He'd already counted every single bolt, was intimately familiar with the bloodstains on the hard cement floor. He knew every niche, every imperfection in the metal of the bars. But right now, he did not notice that. He didn't see the bed slide on its track ever so slightly. He didn't notice the droplet of water begin to expand from the leak in the ceiling that would have remained sealed had it not been for the exceptional snowfall on the ceiling.

No. He was asleep. Or, to be technical, he was dreaming.

------------------------ --

He was alone, on a vast, tortured plain in the middle of a wasteland. All around him were littered the dead, empty husks of buildings. A brilliant light to the far, far right indicated a flourishing city, even though he could not see it. He knew he would soon. He'd seen it every single night he'd been in that god-awful lab.

The scene began to fall away from him, as if he were flying. A pair of swords sparked in the brilliant sunlight, one of them becoming two, then reconnecting into one. A flash of silver hair, a flutter of black cloth. Impressions were all he could get. But he knew, as he rose and the city far in the distance could be seen, that the storm clouds above the dueling figures were caused by the one with the katana. His katana.

Suddenly, like always, the scene warped, and he was alone on a mountainside. A cold, lifeless power plant peaked the mountain, but he didn't care. His eyes were on the silver-haired figure before him. As always, every single night, the figure spoke. Though the figure spoke a language he didn't know, he understood every word.

"Mi fili, veni. Veni, veni, mi fili."

My son, come. Come, come, my son. But he wasn't his son. No, the figure wanted something. The figure looked at him, grinned an insane, fatal grin, and lifted the sword. HIS sword. He looked down, hoping to find it. But, like all the other times, he knew what he would find.

Nothing.

He raised his eyes, knowing the sword was falling. He flinched, though he knew he wouldn't feel it. The blade met his neck, brilliant, slitted blue-green eyes laughed insanely….

He woke up.

He never noticed the sparks of white light that flashed on his skin at every contact the dripping water made with his flesh. He never noticed the green, slitted eyes hiding from the rain underneath his bed. He never noticed the sneering grin waiting just outside the bars.

By then, it was too late.

"Meow."

----------------------- -

"Welcome to the X-Mansion. I am Professor Charles Xavier, the Headmaster of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Diggers. Theodore contacted me after you called him. I must say, I did not expect to hear he was married, much less that he had children. He just doesn't keep in touch with his old friends anymore."

Julia looked down at the wheelchair-bound man and smiled. She reached forward and shook his hand. "That's quite alright, Professor. Now, if you would tell us what this is all about?"

The man nodded and turned his wheelchair into a 180, heading into the school. "If you'll all just follow me, I will explain presently. I am most interested in the account of your fight, as well as the three men following you and your daughters."

Link's ears perked, and he slowly sidled up to Charles' side. He looked down at the man, marveling at the idea of the paraplegic man still being able to move. These worlds were amazing. "What of my brothers and myself?"

Charles looked back at the other two figures and did a bit of a double take. There was no resemblance between any of them. If that was so, then why did the blonde one call the other two brothers? He shook his head and led them down a hall to a sealed and bolted door. "I shall get to that momentarily. First, I must explain a few things. Let us enter this room: it is my base, if you will. It is the heart of this mansion."

He led them onto a platform, the door hermetically sealing itself as it shut. The professor went over to a strange machine and indicated helmet connected to the chair that looked as though it would fit on his hairless cranium. The others surrounded him.

"This is Cerebro. It allows me to locate mutants across the globe my magnifying my brainwaves. Right now, it is inoperable. My colleague, Dr. Henry McCoy, is enhancing its protocols. Please do not interrupt, Mr. Potter, I am getting to that just now."

Everyone in the group turned to stare at a mystified Harry. It was apparent that the professor could read minds.

"Yes, Mrs. Diggers, I can read minds. I will not, however, read a mind that does not want to be read. I'm surprised Theodore didn't tell you. Ah, well. In any case, I am the leader of a group of mutants called the "X-Men". They are a select group with ideals similar to my own, namely, the belief that humans and mutants can live side by side. However, human are not often of that sentiment, as we all know too well. A recent event has further clouded the possibility of peace between us: the reconstruction of the Sentinels."

"The Sentinels are androids, war machines with technology far beyond that of even the military at this time. They are anti-mutant machines, with processors that detect the presence of the X-gene in humans, and they gauge the level of threat a positive target presents. Namely, the level of knowledge the target has of his or her powers. With that information, the Sentinel enters into a "Kill or Capture" mode, subduing the target by any means necessary. It is not rare for innocent bystanders to be killed in the resulting confrontation."

"My colleague, Dr. McCoy, has been keeping track of all Sentinel activities while Cerebro is inoperable. Imagine our surprise when an extremely large group of Sentinels was seen to be converging upon the Atlanta Shopping Mall. We dispatched Cyclops and Wolverine, who were in the area, and expected to have to save a very powerful, if confused, mutant. We did not expect to find seven people in the midst of a destroyed Sentinel squadron."

Shadow scoffed as he leaned against the side of the doorframe. "It would have gone faster if our brother hadn't been separated from us."

If Xavier heard Shadow, he didn't give any outward indication.

"Now, why did the Sentinels attack you? Because you obviously possess the mutant gene. Now, I should like to point out the powers and features you seem to possess, gathered of course by observation. You, Mrs. Diggers, are possessed of an unnatural strength and a propensity for battle, as well as an unsurpassable skill with the rapier. You, Gina, are apparently a genius far beyond the levels of ordinary humans, even beyond that of some of history's greatest minds. It is obvious what your mutation is, Britanny, and Brianna, you appear to be a genius in the nature of high-power weaponry. I'm sure Forge would find you fascinating."

The man in the wheelchair was being uncommonly tactless, as was readily apparent. Link, studying the man, felt a familiar twinge coming from the man's soul. It was a hint of evil, a taste of the Four Evils' power. And this man was unknowingly carrying it. It would be mere days before it overwhelmed him, however. Link, though, had other things to worry about. Like stopping the four girls from murdering the professor.

"As for you three, or four, if we ever manage to find your brother, it is fairly obvious, as well. You, Mr. Potter, are possessed of an incredible determination and strength, while the metaphysical disks you can launch from a blade medium are most definitely your mutation. Shadow, your mutation is the form you currently wear, much like my friend, Mr. Wagner, and the power of speed is given to you to compensate. As your you, Mr. Link, I am fairly certain your ability to store nearly limitless mass on your person and your exceptionally long ears are indicators of your own mutant abilities."

At this point, the four women seemed prepared to completely annihilate the telepath. In fact, Gina and Brianna were trying their hardest to hold themselves back. Julia, having a good deal of sense and strength, was struggling to hold her werecheetah daughter back. Everyone's attention, however, was soon riveted on Harry, who had burst out into a near-maniacal laughter.

"And WHAT is so funny about Baldy callin' me a mutant, Potter!"

Harry ignored Britanny, wiping his eyes, as he turned to the professor.

"Hoo boy. You've got it WAY wrong, professor. We aren't mutants. Hell, we're not even FROM this place. I'm from an alternate Earth, where 'mutants' don't exist and never have, but magicians and sorcerors have replaced them. Shadow was BORN a hedgehog on the planet Moebius, another alternate Earth, and Link's Hylian, from Hyrule. THAT one has no relation to Earth at all. We're almost completely genetically dissimilar to any of you. That's probably why we set off the alarms."

Professor Xavier prepared to open his mouth and refute this when a hulking blue figure, hunched over and wearing an oddly small pair of specs, entered the room, wearing a white lab coat. He looked up, briefly, and nodded at the professor.

"Professor, I have some news. First, a dimensional rift was opened just moments after the Sentinels attacked the Atlanta mall. I believe our guests are to blame." Here, the blue thing indicated the three brothers. "Second, I detected another rift opening somewhere in Canada. This one was much smaller, yet of a similar nature. It opened weeks ago, though. I failed to note it, as I was busy adapting the Danger Room to our dear friend Logan's increased…enthusiasm."

By now, he realized he'd completely ignored his manners and turned to face the group. "Oh, dear me. I apologize. I am Dr. Henry McCoy. My friends here in the X-Mansion, however, call me Beast or Hank. Don't mind the blue fur, it's a mistake I made in my youth and shall not repeat."

Professor Xavier, uncharacteristically showing some impatience, tapped Beast on the shoulder. "Yes, Beast, well, you were talking about the Canada rift?"

Beast nodded. "Ah, yes. Well, I was poring over the records for a precedent when I found the entry. Approximately three weeks ago, a rift that would fall into the red spectrum of light was opened in the Canadian wilds. Apparently, the cause of the shift was dropped in the middle of a supposedly abandoned weapons-research facility."

At this, Logan extended the claws of his right hand in anger. "Whaddaya mean, 'supposedly', Hank?"

Beast turned to Wolverine and nodded silently, sadly. "….I'm sorry, but I've received reports of a figure ripping through the Canadian wilds. It has yet to harm a human being. Outside of the facility, that is. The remains of a number of guards, scientists, and Sentinels were found inside it. Also, I'm sorry, Logan, but….they found a vat that obviously held melted adamantium. I…I'm very, very sorry my friend."

Logan and the three brothers all looked at each other. Logan held up a hand and extended a single claw, offering it as a way of explanation. The three brothers' eyes all widened.

Everyone but the professor was running for the Blackbird as fast as they could.

The bald man stood up, discarding the wheelchair. He looked at the console, spying the huge number of humans, all cowering in their homes, afraid of the mutant 'threat'. His skin seemed to take on a reddish sheen as he laughed and exited the building. He scratched a single, jagged word across the wall.

"ONSLAUGHT"

------------------- -

Kill. Destroy. Revenge!

Blood, flesh, tear, rip!

Smell, scent, air, FREE!

Pain, run, jump, dodge!

Innocent, no hurt. Big Evil, KILL!

Hate, pain, jump, KILL!

Night, prey, rest, sleep.

Sound, scent, sight, dream?

Pretty one, mate, gone, sad.

Pretty one, mate, here, nuzzle!

Scent, light, good-bye, waken.

Scent, open, familiar, BROTHER!

---------------------------------------------------- -

A/N: Sorry it's so short, guys, but it has to be for storyline purposes. Any suggestions, or comments, are of course welcome. I hope you enjoyed this week's installment.


	7. Chapter Five: Metal Madness

**Four Brothers  
**_A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain and MadHat886_

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½, Sonic the Hedgehog, Suikoden, or any and all related properties, Gold Diggers, or Marvel's X-Men.

A/N – Yes, I am co-writing this fanfic alongside MadHat886. This  
fic will be a combination of original works by MadHat886, and myself  
and of Suikoden ½ by MadHat886. If you have trouble understanding parts

Of the fanfic, read Suikoden ½. Seriously. It's good!

* * *

-----------------**Chapter Five: Metal Madness**-----------------

Shadow had seen many, many things since his recent journey across worlds. He had seen subhuman creatures walking around in lab coats. He had seen giant catlike women tear out the bowels of a giant robot. He had even seen a man tear his face off and become a completely different man.

But he had never seen a man act like an animal, not so convincingly, anyway. And yet, that was what he was seeing. A man, his brother, was prowling around on all fours. His brother. It was still rather strange calling Agrias his brother, and yet it felt…right. Even that newcomer, Harry, felt as part of the team.

Yet one of them was now acting…unlike a brother. He was acting…more like a pet. Shadow shook his head and looked over at Link and Harry, both of whom just shrugged. It was then that Agrias turned and looked at them. And pounced.

Shadow winced when he saw the two long, cruel blades, almost exactly like Logan's, slicing out from his knuckles, one from the point between Agrias' index finger and middle finger, and another from the point between his pinky and fourth finger. It was true, then. Agrias had been experimented on by someone up here.

Agrias' pounce carried him onto Harry's chest, the claws leaving no marks, oddly enough. It was as though Agrias knew they were friends. Little did they know that Neko-Agrias DID recognize them as friends. This became apparent, however, when Agrias began to nuzzle underneath Harry's chin. The masked warrior was confused as all hell, and it showed when Agrias pounced up Link and repeated the action. Shadow tried to dodge, but Agrias' martial arts and neko-reflexes proved his match as Shadow, too, was nuzzled. It was then that Harry decided to snap Agrias out of it.

Years later, Agrias would still be wondering if what happened then was because of the gem he now carried in his heart, the innate magic of the blade Harry carried, or just plain luck.

"_Aguamenti_!"

The jet of water that issued from Excalibur's tip struck Agrias fully in the chest. A brilliant flash issued from Agrias' heart, and the white orb had migrated to his heart began to glow fiercely within his body. A brilliant white shield began to glow around his body, tracing even the contours of his muscles. The cat-like yowling issuing from the back of his throat, however, showed that he was in a great deal of pain.

Agrias' shield suddenly failed, and his body was drenched. The yowling pitched even higher, and suddenly it seemed as though Agrias' skeleton was about to break out of his skin. But a flash of light issued from his heart, and suddenly, a huge rent appeared and the shield reappeared, forming into a new body outside of Agrias' body. The gem in Agrias heart began to pulse and beat, and the yowling turned into the agonized scream of a human being.

The voice took on a feminine, feline quality even as Agrias' own male voice pitched higher in pain. The glowing, humanoid shape began to take on detail, showing itself to be the second, female screamer. Another flash, and it was over. Agrias remained where he had been, slumping over Shadow's body with his new claws extended. His dripping wet body was breathing laboriously.

But a new shape was there, as well, awake but weak. She was crawling, slowly and painfully, towards Agrias. Her chestnut hair covered her face, and she wore a pink dress. That was all they could tell of her until she passed out, her arms wrapping weakly around Agrias' body as she whispered his name in his ear.

Had any of the men had the indecency to look under her dress, they would have been in for a shock.

------------------------**Blackbird, Some Time Later**---------------------

"Hey, Cyke. We gotta problem here!"

Logan's panic-edged tone quickly drew the leader of the team to the control panel to see what was wrong. Logan was a fearless man, with a backbone of adamantium, literally. There was almost nothing that could put that edge to his voice. Cyclops looked down at the instruments and his eyes widened.

The emergency screen had been activated, and the image it was showing was not very heartening. A red-armored figure, reminiscent of Magneto crossed with a gigantic Sentinel, was laying waste to the Compound. The destruction was total, and brutal. Several members of the team were trying valiantly to hold the beast off, but none of them had even the slightest chance of holding it off. Not against the kind of power they're facing.

But that still wasn't enough to make the Wolverine panic, was it?

Then Cyclops saw, or rather did not see what Logan did not see. Professor Charles Xavier, who should have been on the front lines helping to repel this obviously psionic foe, was missing.

The Blackbird began to land, and in its confines, a trio of brothers watched over their fallen brother and his new companion while readying themselves for a fight.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Foolish mortals. There are none who can oppose the might of Onslaught! Even your beloved mentor has fallen to my will, and there shall never be anything you can do about it!"

The tall red-clad figure towered over those underneath him, firing blasts almost at random. The one known as Iceman fell first, followed by Arch Angel, and Colossus, who had made a daring, vengeful raid against the one that had dared hurt his beloved Shadowcat. His might was absolute! There were none who could stand against him, none whose might would challenge his!

The sound of a screaming jet landing several hundred meters in front of him distracted him from his internal bout of monologuing. Seriously, he had to have that checked out. If he kept up like that, he'd find himself vulnerable to his captives escaping, or the subdued hero becoming unsubdued and, with renewed vigor, destroying him, or something like that. That just wouldn't-

A huge, concussive red blast to the face dragged him forcibly out of his second inner monologue, and his eyes barely managed to focus on a charging blue-and-yellow clad figure before a second blast was issued by the figure's eyes.

Onslaught mentally redirected the blast at its originator, becoming only slightly perplexed when it did nothing at all to Cyclops.(1) With the redirection, however, Cyclops realized it was prudent to cease firing, lest the giant creature redirect the concussive blast at someone less capable of handling them. Like the Diggers, for instance.

Cyclops did not know that the Diggers were more than capable of handling themselves. They had dropped from within the Blackbird and immediately rushed into battle mode. Gina and Brianna were laying into Onslaught with extremely heavy weaponry, and Britanny was looking around for things to hurl at the gigantic beast.

The figure calling itself Onslaught was starting to get annoyed. He took to his full height, towering far above these meager fools, and began to let loose his blasts. His first target, the tall catgirl with the massive stone black held atop her head, was nearly defenseless as he began to launch an unyielding barrage of energy bolts at her.

Needless to say he was incredibly surprised when the bolts hit him back, knocking him to the ground. His eyes widened in pain as he looked at the source, and was surprised to see a simple, gleaming golden shield blocking his view of the catgirl. It was then that he began to worry.

"Foolish mortals! None can stop Onslau-hurk!"

The beast's cry was cut off, unsurprisingly, by the two extremely large blades buried in his stomach. This was quickly followed by the pain of six adamantium lances piercing his neck. Concussive blast after concussive blast wracked his frame, and a one-handed sword was soon encased in his skull. Shadow, Harry, Wolverine, and Cyclops had done Onslaught a mighty blow. The creature fell.

But he was not down for the count. He could sense the two helpless figures in the Blackbird, and began summoning one last bit of energy before he had to abandon this host once more for the confines of his origins. One, thus far inactive, combatant sensed the energy build-up and began to rush forward, hoping to kill the beast before it succeeded.

The blast was never released. Though it was not Julia Diggers who forestalled it. A tall, green tunic-clad figure could be seen, his Master Sword rammed through Onslaught's head. The shadows of Terror crept up the long, gleaming shaft of the blade as they exited them Empowered Onslaught. A brilliant, gleaming green light shot from Link's markings, which had evidenced themselves upon the finishing blow, and the shadows were dispelled. The green light subsided, and in its wake could be hurt the faint screams of pain. Link looked to the green-tinged sky.

"Now, Malkore, you are one servant less. Soon, my brothers and I shall defeat you utterly. You shall not have this world! Let it be sealed from you and yours for all eternity!"

Farore's voice filtered through all present as the sky returned to its natural blue. The giant figure of Onslaught was once more the crippled form of Professor Charles Xavier. The ruins that had been the Academy were once more the Academy. And life would soon return to its natural state….

"It seems a terrible shame to me that your friends and yourself must leave so soon. Surely, with your brother's healing factor, he shall not be out for much longer."

The man in the hospital bed did indeed look regretful that the brothers would be leaving. He knew, though, that they had to bring Agrias back home to be cared for, and they had other places to go and save. He hadn't even thought of an extradimensional threat, and his team had faced numerous beings of such a sort before! No, it would not due for the brothers to remain here. Malkore and his brothers were out there, preying on those who could not defend themselves from his fear-inducing abilities.

The brother known as Agrias, meanwhile, was stirring. His companion had awakened hours ago, and was caring for him, but did not remove her hair from covering her face, nor did she speak to anyone but Agrias. She seemed content just to hold him as he fitfully began to awaken. His eyes opened, and his three brothers surrounded his bed.

"Uhnn….what…what'd they do to me? My body feels so heavy…"

The one known as Wolverine walked up, tapping the kid on the shoulder. Agrias looked up, and Wolverine simply extended a single claw. Agrias' eyes widened, recognizing the claw, and concentrated on what felt like a new muscle structure in his forearms.

A quick pain in his left, and the sudden cessation of said pain, announced his success. He lifted his hands, and remembered every minute of his weeks in the facility. He looked to his metallic right arm, and saw that the blades exited through a pair tunneled holes in the gauntlet. The residue of power told him that Din had made them, perhaps to prevent the scientists in the facility from attempting to destroy his right arm in an attempt to make him their perfect weapon.

The metal on his bones worried him. What about his curse? Surely the change in body mass wouldn't affect the non-organic material now bonded to his skeleton! The image that produced in his mind was not a very encouraging one. He examined the room, until he saw her. The pink dress, the chestnut hair….it had to be her! There was no other…

"A..Aerith? But…you….you died…."

The girl simply parted her hair, and smiled. Everyone around him gasped as she did so.

She was not the Aerith Agrias was familiar with. Her soft, feminine features were now feline, though still feminine. Her ears were no longer there, and Agrias assumed they would be atop her head. Her fur was predominantly white, with some gray tones around her jowls. She put her hair into her preferred ponytail, and revealed that the fur and feline cast to her features extended to her whole body.

Agrias, however, did not cringe in fear. His heart and soul yearned for this girl, as they had ever since he had met her. But still, she had been dead, and he needed to know…

"Aerith…what happened?"

-------------**In the space between worlds**-------------

A flaming skull figure watched as the scene unfolded before him. His new master would want to know what happened to the four brothers, as well as this strange cat woman with a powerful aura around her. She could prove useful for his master's plan, with a power that taps into a planet's energies like hers.

Their return to the world where his master lived might prove troubling, as his master was getting ready to collect the three element runes from the Grassland forces. It looked like his master would just have to wait, as it would prove too much trouble to collect them now. With the four brothers around, his master forces wouldn't be able to get the runes as easily. But knowing his master, he already had a backup plan for something like this. And when the plan was in motion, he would have his chance to get revenge on his former master. Revenge on the man who had sealed him away.

--------------**Elsewhere…**---------------

Inside of an ancient structure, six supernatural and evil entities were sitting around a fire powered by one of their number. These beings were the infamous, evil villains imprisoned by the Dragon Orb and released briefly by a treasure hunter, then recaptured by the Dragon Pharaoh with the power of the Dragon Orb. At least, these are some of those villains …

Fueling the fire is Salamander, a burning skeleton of a man wearing armour.

Phhhht!

"Hey!" cried Salamander indignantly, "Stop trying to blow out my flame!"

Teasingly trying to blow out Salamander's fire is Shadow Reaver. Half man, half goat. Strong, big, and a complete coward.

Snickering- er –laughing in a manly tone at the antics of the two is Maelstrom, a powerfully built man in need of a nose, and wore a helmet with bulls' horns at the sides. He is the sneaky one.

Rolling their eyes at the stupidity of the assembled men are Sith and Malis, the only females of the group. Sith looked very much like an Egyptian Queen, complete with serpent on her head dress, and a pronounced lisp- er –hiss. Malis looked like a bowman out of Robin Hood that had been burned on only one half of her body, the left … it made her look somewhat like the sister of a certain Gotham lawyer gone bad in the DC comic "Batman." These two were sexually repressed as well. Sith would not touch any of the men in this place with a hundred foot snake. Malis was willing, but her appearance turned the men away. And it had been eons since they last had gotten any. One can excuse them for having a tendency for snapping at people.

Sitting patiently by himself a few steps away from the group is Behemoth. A large muscular man of stone, and the man barely has any face to speak of. He only has the definition of cheek-bones, brows and eyes. The rest is a rocky mass.

"When will you men grow up?" snapped Sith. "You know we can't hurt each other becaussse of that ssstupid Dragon Orb'sss hold on usss! Ssshadow Reaver, ssstop trying to blow out Sssalamander'sss fire, it isss getting annoying!"

"But there's nothing else to do!" whined Shadow Reaver, and he sulked silently to himself with both women glaring at him.

"I know what we can do for fun!" exclaimed Maelstrom.

"NO!" yelled the women in answer, already knowing what the man would suggest, him having suggested it a million times since they were let out of their chambers a few months ago. Malis only responded out of spite. The last time she had offered herself up, the men had almost literally run for it in horror.

"Is this what has become of the ancient demons that use to terrorize ancient Egypt?" a new voice ask.

The look down the hall where the voice came from as a man walked into the firelight coming from Salamander. His body was covered with a skintight black fabric that showed off all of his muscles, reaching from head to toe. He wore a silver chest plate with a red trim that matched the silver wristbands going up from his wrists to his elbows with the black fabric still covering his hands. The same black fabric went down his legs where it was covered by sliver, knee high, metal boots that curved around his leg muscles. His feet were connected to the armored boots that made a metallic sound with each step he took. He wore a metal belt buckle with a crooked 'A' with a jagged look to the letter. The black fabric went up his neck ending at the start of his head, which was a skintight metal facemask covering his head that's colored differently. Half of the mask is painted dark red while the other half is solid black. The black part of the mask is so dark which none of the demons couldn't even see the breathing or the eyehole on that half of the mask. The red part on the right side he could see the breathing holes (which are really just vertical rectangles) and the eye hole with a scar running across its surface, showing a blue eye underneath.

"Who are you?" Maelstrom said as he and the others clearly remembers what happen the last time they has visitors.

"Call me Anarchy," the man's voice is smooth and silky, hiding the danger that lies underneath, "I have an offer for you people. The Dragon Orb has vast power that will suit my needs for my plan, but the main reason why I'm here is because of four certain dimension hoppers are currently in my dimension. They will get in my way if I try to use any of the plans I have ready to go. That's where you demons come in. They made friends with the Digger girls, the three girls who visited this prison before."

"And what do you want us to do?" Sith ask knowing there's a catch to this somewhere.

"I want all of you to go back to this dimension, Earth-616, and attack the Diggers and draw the four trouble-makers back to this world," Anarchy explains to them.

"Hold it," Behemoth, "What makes you think that we will do as you ask?"

"What's stopping us from going to your dimension and setting up shop there?" Salamander said not liking the idea of being someone else's pawn.

"Dark Hat and his siblings are currently in my world. Dark also made it quite clear that he won't like any God or Demon entering the world they're currently in," Anarchy explains to them.

All of the Demon Lords all became pale at the mere mention of the oldest of the Hat's name. Malis spoke up, "He's there?"

"Yes, he is," Anarchy said, "Besides, wouldn't all of you want to pay those girls back from how they humiliated you the last two times they were here?" All of the demons started smiling as they thought of how they would show those girls how powerful they were at their full power. Anarchy then pulled out a bag full of gems, "And these power gems from the demon world should give you a power boost to deal with those heroes running around there as well."

* * *

**_A/N_**: Well, that's it for this chapter. Sorry it took so long: writer's block combined with exams, an up-and-coming cross-country bus-fest, and an asshole who refuses to return one of my games has degenerated my mind into a 12th-level Ooze of Molasses' Speed, which puts a –800 on Wisdom and Intelligence…modifiers. Anyway, a quick and heartfelt thanks goes out to MadHat886. Half of this chappie is his, and without him, I'd be stuck in the Horfel Mountains, with the Northerners breathing down my back, and no Gonturan to save me.

Sorry, D&D got thrown in there, andThe Blue Sword,too…..


End file.
